Reflections as Opposed to Resolutions
Happy New Year! (even though as you may be reading this, it is 2 to 3 weeks into the New Year). One of the tried-and-true parts of every New Year, are individuals making resolutions for the coming year. Whether, it is to lose weight, exercise more, incorporate a new habit in one’s life, or whatever else an individual can determine that a change of a calendar from one year to the next, will now make them do that they have not done in the past, resolutions are all the rage at this time of year.
When I meet with my clients, they are often at a down point in their life. They may have suddenly been let go of a job that they may have done for many years. Or their job was so distasteful for them to do, they decided to leave it and move on. Others may have relocated from one place to another, and are looking to re-establish themselves in a new community.
While searching for your next job role often is stressful, it is also a built-in time to reflect on what you would like to contribute next to the workforce. I stress to my clients that a strong job search consists of five steps. Those steps are, Assessment of what it is you may want to do next, Research on how to become part of that field, Targeting, places that need that type of worker, Interviewing, to learn about opportunities, and Following-Up with those in need of your skills and talents. While all these steps take thought, the first one Assessment, requires one to Reflect on those things they have done in their life, and the positives and negatives that one has taken from those experiences.
So how does one go about Assessing, (and therefore Reflecting), on those things they have done well in their life, and on those things that they did not enjoy doing? One way is to list out every job they have done, and lists the Pros and Cons of each of those jobs. What things appear to be present when they enjoy what they are doing? Are there patterns that appear to bring in any negatives? Another way to assess is to list out the major accomplishments of their life. Then they look to ask themselves such things as, were those accomplishments done predominantly alone, or in conjunction of others? What was their role in the process, (were they a leader or a contributor)? What got them involved in the item they considered an accomplishment. Such items do not even have to be part of their work history. They could be items they did in their childhood, or as a volunteer or even ones they did as part of a family vacation or project. The point is they are looking for trends, things that are present, environments in which they work best.
Other assessments may include their Values at this time in their life, an ideal work environment assessment, or even a vision of where they see themselves 3, 5 or 10 years into the future in their life. All these reflection tools provide “clues,” as to what may be worth exploring next. And, while one can make a “vow,” they will do exactly what the assessment/reflection tools seem to be providing as information and feedback to the individual, they are encouraged to use what they are learning as a guide to explore possibilities, do research on the pros and cons of those possibilities for themselves and to begin “targeting” possible industries, job roles and locations and ways of doing the work they seek, as part of their exploration.
Reflection is not only something to do when searching for your next job opportunity, but is also great to use as part of life skills. Whether it is determining where you may want to live, what courses and learnings you may want to do to improve your skill sets or even where you may want to go on vacation in the coming year, the model giving here will give you a roadmap to move you forward.
So, if you have made resolutions for 2026, and you are still sticking to them, God bless you. If you made resolutions and broke them within these first days of January, do not despair. Reflection can be done at any time of the year, on most any topic, and is a way for you to smartly move yourself along to your next endeavor.
