2011: New Year's 'revolutions'

I sat down to write this article with a fairly conventional approach in mind: I would write about all the good New Year's resolutions that a sensible, career-oriented person might commit to -- things such as getting organized, managing time wisely, networking on a regular basis, and so on.

And then an interesting thing happened. My finger missed the "s" on the keyboard, and instead of typing the word "resolutions," it came out "revolutions." I laughed at the mistake and started to correct it, grateful to have found an error that spell-checker probably wouldn't have caught. Then I stopped myself. Perhaps it was akin to a Freudian slip, but I began to realize that "revolutions" was, in fact, the word that I was really looking for.

Making New Year's resolutions is as traditional as singing "Auld Lang Syne." We go through the motions, make a list of tidy little smart goals, and set about changing the behaviors necessary to read more books, build our networks or lose 10 pounds. This is good stuff, and it typically lasts until about the first week in February, when we begin to realize that we're bored with our goals. Let's face it -- it's hard to stay motivated by incremental change.

Maybe what we need to commit to in 2011 with respect to our careers is something that will be more profound, something that will call for a deep and significant shift in our beliefs and perspectives, something that will set us up for change that is indeed, revolutionary.

Preparing for revolutionary change requires getting clear on what you would like to be fundamentally different about your career before plunging into commitments. It calls for taking some time to be still and quiet, and to listen to the answers that emerge to questions like these:

--What do I really want the most from my professional life? How will I feel when I have it?

--What am I pretending not to know about my current career circumstances?

--What possibilities have I been ignoring?

--What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?

--What do I need to let go of or get complete with?

--How are my self-limiting beliefs holding me back?

--Am I playing a big enough game?

--What are my special gifts? How can I create something wonderful using them?

--What do I want my career legacy to say about me?

Take some time to let these questions roll around in your head and heart before jumping ahead to begin making commitments. Sometimes you have to have revelations before you can have revolutions. Then, when you are ready, begin thinking about the opportunities that emerged from this inquiry. What big commitments are you prepared to make? What new ways of being are you willing to claim for yourself in the new year? What are the career revolutions that will help you transition from where you are to where you really want to be? Your list might look something like this:

Beginning Jan. 1, 2011:

--I will stare down my fears of change and the unknown and identify one new calculated risk to take each week.

--I will recognize that where I am is a result of the choices I have made up to this point, and I will identify and begin making new choices.

--I will stop making excuses and begin taking 100 percent responsibility for the quality of my own career.

--I will get crystal clear on the return I am getting on the investment of my life energy and make new decisions about how I want to spend that energy.

--I will ask for help when I need it, rather than trying to create the illusion that I can do it all.

--I will replace "shoulds" with "want-to's."

--I will find a way to work that will make my heart sing.

--I will not get so busy making a living that I forget to make a life.

If this is your year to transform your career from something that pays the bills to something that fills you with delight, it's time to roll up your sleeves and make your New Year's revolutions. Look out, 2011!

Barbara Poole is a master-certified coach and leadership/team development consultant. She is president of Success Builders Inc. and partner/co-founder of Leading Deeply LLC. She can be reached at Barbara@LeadingDeeply.org.

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