Career Management Means Looking Back as Well as Forward

I encourage my coaching clients and workshop participants to embrace their talents, interests and job skills, and find ways to incorporate them into their current careers. Elements of our ten-year-old aspirations can shed a spotlight on what your next career move may be.

If by chance, you entered a time machine and had lunch with your ten-year-old self, what would your younger self say? Even wanting to be a cowgirl or cowboy brings with it certain dreams and a direction that could be recalled, explored and incorporated into your current career map. Those old aspirations quite possibly could be the springboard to the next step in your career.

I believe I am essentially the same person I was at 10 – inquisitive, fearless, outspoken and determined. I was also different: a fair-skinned African-American with green eyes and tall for my age. Elements of my “differentness” are evident in my having co-founded and led Spencer Stuart’s global Diversity Practice, and a commitment to helping others bring their unique contributions to the workforce and workplace.

Here’s the point: regardless of where we are now, we still have to find that dream and harness the voice of our inner child to guide us to those things that matter in work and life. It may require letting go of some old paradigms and dreams that are holding us back. With self-reflection, you can move on while respecting the innocence and gifts when you were 10.

Examples of others who have shared their youthful dreams can be found on my website. But let’s get back to you. What were your dreams when you were 10? What fascinated you the most? Were you an artist, an airplane lover or doll collector? We welcome your recollections below.