How often do you think about what kind of life you want, what kind of person you are, and what makes you happy? Can you define what you want and what you are willing to do to get it? The better you know yourself, the easier it will be to take the twists and turns ahead with confidence. The process of acheiving a fulfilling career starts with knowing yourself. The better you know yourself, the easier it will be to take the twists and turns ahead with confidence. It can be helpful to write down your fundamental beliefs, values, and needs in a journal.
Values
Values define you. They are the qualities, attributes, and beliefs that you consider important. If you act in accordance with your values, success and happiness are enhanced.
Some examples of values:
- Career: accomplishment, adventure, creativity, money
- Relationships: affection, belonging, collaboration, loyalty
- Personal growth: ambition, fitness, pride, technical ability
Needs
Needs also define you and shape your world. They are your requirements for living. They can be both limitations and identity traits that you embrace.
Some examples of needs:
- Economic: life-style, wealth, security, possessions
- Social: family, friends, children, colleagues
- Health: allergies, handicaps, fitness, nutrition
- Environment: indoors, big company, urban setting
- Avocational: free-time, hobbies, religion, community
Often your needs and values can contradict each other. Making compromises between the two is often the key to actualizing happiness and clearly defining your goals.
Goals
Goals are defined out of the reconciliation of values and needs. Goals can be small and specific consisting of single actions; Or they can be large and abstract. Both types of goals are important. With the large, abstract goals, it's important to break them down into smaller, tangible steps. This way you have something to work towards each day. Before you know it, you'll be on your way towards accomplishing the big goal.
Remember to define realistic goals that you can stick to over time. By breaking goals up into smaller tasks, you ensure that your goals are reasonable. For example, check the web site for job fairs in your field or call one person who might know someone doing the kind of job in which you are interested. Constantly reevaluate your goals to determine if they are still in line with your values and needs.