Can’t think of a career? Let’s tackle this problem using the framework of Seth Godin’s “Hierarchy of Success”.

Seth posted an interesting blog about what he calls “The Hierarchy of Success”(alternate titles could be “How to Get What You Want” and “How to Structure Career Objectives”, amongst others):

1. Attitude
2. Approach
3. Goals
4. Strategy
5. Tactics
6. Execution

I am going through each of the six steps to career success in light of the question at hand: How do I think of a career? Thaw out a framework that will guide you towards the right career for you by taking it one step (out of six) at a time. Sound good? Great!

HERE’S A RECAP SO FAR: You’ve assessed your career goals which provides you with a direction to move towards. Your goals may be broad when you have not identified a career (e.g., life-work balance, creative components, team work, advancing meaningful cause).

This is not only okay, it’s great! Big picture goals serve a different and equally valuable purpose that specific goals (e.g., be promoted in 1 year, lead sales pitch, draft credit agreement) do not: The information you generate from this exercise will continue to guide you as your situation changes.

You can look back on your work here and use it as a rudder, no matter which career you find suits you best.

#2: APPROACH

To find the right career for you, you need the right approach for your search to be successful.

I have learned from personal experience that when you are thrashing about in the throws of mental confusion, the best place to start sorting out what you really want is by getting out of your own head: Start with your body. You’ll finish by using your mind.

START AT THE BEGINNING: There is no way around this. If you want to find a job you’re passionate about, because passion is a feeling, you must get back in touch with how you feel.  Your feelings live in your body. When you’re burnt out, working in a cube or repressing your constant frustration to survive the day, you are understandably out of touch with how things feel in your body in order to avoid emotional anguish.

Here’s the problem: If you are disconnected from your body, you’re not “home” to receive the directions for finding a career you are passionate about when directives are given.  You may have a new love for clothes or cooking or creating written content, but you are not aware of your passions when you are operating on AM radio frequencies (totally in your head) and these interests are playing on FM (your physical body).

If you want to get OUT of the hell you’re in, you have to get INTO your creature self.

HOW YOUR BODY TALKS: Think of a time in your life where you were the happiest you have ever been. Have that memory in mind?  Good. Pretend like you are back in that memory, living this happy moment again.  How do you feel?  How does your body feel?  Keep thinking of this memory until you can identify where in your body you are experiencing the happiness.

Example: When I am really happy, I feel really relaxed in my body and my chest feels warm – it’s a feeling about the size of a basketball.

This exercise not be that easy at first, and that’s okay. Think of some of the details about the memory: is it bright in your memory? What color are the walls?  Who do you see? What do you hear in the memory? Checking in with your senses can help you identify your feelings and begin to crawl back in your body.

CONGRATS! You have just met your body compass.  This is the primary navigational device for you to use in your approach to finding a career you like.

TEST DRIVE! Let’s use this body compass on your current job.  Be in your current job for a few minutes mentally, if not literally.  How does your body feel now? What is your body compass telling you – is it like the previous memory, all warm and open and relaxed?  Or, do you feel another way – constricted, clenched up, locked down?

I imagine you feel more the latter than the former or else you would not be reading this blog!  This is your body compass say “I don’t like it here.”

WHEN CAN I USE MY HEAD?  Your body compass is essential to your approach in finding the right job.  It is the tool that will take you to where you want to go (if you want to go to a place that is happy and fun for you – I recommend you do, in my professional opinion).

MIND: You are allowed to start thinking about jobs you might like once the job has passed the body test.

Because sitting around and attempting to think up a job will only create frustration, you are only allowed to use your logic as a secondary mechanism for screening jobs.

APPLICATION!  Take your tools for a test drive! Write down a job or career you are considering. If you are totally clueless, print this list of jobs http://www.bls.gov/k12/azlist.htm and pick any job on it. Or do a little more self-research, and look at other skills you’ve acquired on the job as potential launch pads to another career, or analyze your innate interests. Whichever your starting place, identify one possible job, then proceed:

• Stay loose and relaxed. Consider the job at hand, let’s say it’s “Urban Planner”.
• When you think about being an urban planner, how do you feel in your body? Give it a few seconds, and you will either feel your body relax and energy increase slightly, or you will feel your body reject the concept like a bad kidney – that job won’t take, even if it seems like a logical choice for you.
• If your body is saying “no” to the career at hand, you will save yourself mucho, mucho time and wasted energy by dropping the idea now. The job is not going to work out for you.
• However, if your body gives you the go ahead, that is when your brain comes into play: learn more about the job and determine what it takes to engage.

Now that urban planner has made the first cut, use your head to understand exactly what a person actually does in this job.  Ask around to see if any of your friends know an urban planner, or Google one in your area and state your interest and ask to take the person to lunch (people are much more open to this than you might imagine). Ask your source questions like:

• Describe your average day and the tasks you do.
• Why did you get into this profession? Have your expectations proven accurate?
• Would recommend this profession to someone? Why?
• Who wouldn’t enjoy the job you do?
• Describe your best day on the job and your worst day on the job.
• If you could change one thing, what would it be?
• What is the best thing about the work you do?

As you gather information about the job, check in and see if the reality of the job met your expectations. If so, continue exploring by learning what you must do to begin that job.  If not, ask yourself why it sounded so good in the first place – perhaps you thought the job would be focused on the big picture of city planning when really it is a very administrative job.  Is there another job that addresses the big picture? I’m sure there is – head that way.

Finally, assess if the job meets your #2 GOALS for your career.  If there is a disconnect in the purpose you want for your career and lifestyle that suits you best, either the job or the goal must get the boot.

Your #2 Approach (gut first, then your head) will further your job search the right way.  If you’re anything like me, doing solely what is logical probably got you into the mess you’re in in the first place.  Learn from the past and do a gut check first. With the right approach, you can organize what otherwise seems chaotic and galvanize what may feel hopeless.

There’s always a right way (for you) to approach thinking of the right career for you … but it may not always be to “think”.

Let me know your comments!

If you liked this post, take a look at these posts.

1. Can’t Think of A Career? (meets the Hierarchy of Success)
2. Can’t Think of a Career?
3. Can’t Think of a Career? Use the Right Tactics.