When we think about our careers, we often don’t look beyond the next role or promotion we hope to achieve. Exploration of opportunities involves looking at the roles of others in your company or occasionally pursuing LinkedIn to see what interesting roles may be out there.
Last week on the Before Breakfast podcast, Laura Vanderkam talked about creating a moonshot map for something you aspire to do in the future. This map helps you figure out steps to take along the way to achieve that dream in the future.
However, what if you don’t know what you aspire to 10-20 years from now?
My Perspective
Before creating the moonshot map, a vision needs to be created. One of the best ways to start the vision is to imagine your perfect day 10 years from now. I’ve found free writing to be a great way to start to understand your vision.
You’ll need to consider your future age and if you have / plan to have children. How old will they be at this time? Where do you want to live? How will you spend your non-working time? Do you have hobbies or volunteer activities? Do you have a side hustle?
Next, think about your work in detail. What type of work are you doing? Where is it being done? What is your workspace like – in an office or at home based on how you imagine it? Are you working for the company you are working for now? Someone else? Yourself?
Remember to think about the type of work you are doing. What are the tasks? How are you spending your worktime? Are there activities you are no longer doing? Who do you work with? How frequently do you meet? Are you all in the same location or spread out across the world?
The initial writing doesn’t have to be a complete vision. You can take what you’ve written, pull out the parts that feel right and then expand on it. After you have a vision, create that moonshot map!
Your Turn
Have you created a 10-year (or longer) vision for your career?
What might emerge that could set your direction for the next few years?
Could a moonshot map help you achieve the 10-year dreams that feel a bit out of reach?