Roadmap to Success

As I sit here on another flight, traveling to yet another meeting, I sit thinking. Thinking of all I accomplished and thinking of those mountains I still want to climb (figuratively). Yes, I am proud of myself and where I am at in life, but that doesn’t mean I can’t manifest bigger dreams for my future. It doesn’t mean I get to stop pushing and trying. It doesn’t mean I accept that this is the end of the road too career growth. It means I keep going. I keep climbing that ladder as my Dad would say. I keep building out my roadmap to success.

People don’t get to where they are in life overnight. If you told me 5 years ago I would be in a senior role under 30, I don’t know if I would have believed you. Yes, it’s what I wanted to myself and just like now,  I was working hard to move up and forward, but it wasn’t certain that I would be here. Nothing is certain in life. Not even what you will be having for breakfast tomorrow. You have to live in the now and believe that what you are doing now, will lead you to the reality you are dreaming of down the road. 

Investing In Yourself

It’s never to early or too late to start investing in you and your career path. Don’t anyone let you think differently. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are too young or old for anything. If you want something bad enough and are willing to put in the work, it WILL happen. I promise you that. Where do you start? Let’s start with outlining that career path. 

Goals

Outline

I want you to draw a road. It can be a windy road, straight road or whatever your heart desires. Let’s start by labeling the start of the road with your current career title and age. Now let’s go to the end of the road and label this with the career title you want 10 years from now and your age in 10 years. 

Now it’s time to fill in the middle of the road. Right now it’s super empty and it may seem that the career title you desire 10 years from now seems far out in left field, but let me tell you it’s not. We are going to break up this road. When you take road trips, you don’t just drive straight through. You stop for gas, food, coffee, to stretch your legs, etc. this is how I want you to think of your road as. Like a road trip. Road trips can sometimes lead to flat tires (set backs) or not fueling up where you should have (mistakes) but in the end you always make it one way or the other. This is how you are going to think of that career title you want 10 years from now. There will be mistakes you make along the line and set backs that will arise, but you WILL GET THERE. 

Back to filing in the middle of the road. Let’s start with 5 years out (center). What is the half way point in between where you are at now and where you want to be? It’s likely that there isn’t one answer here as halfway could have numerous roles. Write the career title that you feel is your half way. Now, let’s make marks a quarter of the way in and then three quarters of the way in. What steps, career moves will you make to get a quarter of the way? What will be your last step along the way (three quarters in) before you hit that milestone. 

The In Between

You now have the main outline for the next 10 years. Now I need you to fill in the gaps. What things can you get involved in now, certifications you can get, courses you can take or anything that you can do now to help you make that step to the quarter mark career title. I also want you to make a list on the side of the road of things that may get in the way during this part of your journey. Whether it be personal things, maybe your having a baby, or professional things, maybe your career field says you need XXX years of experience before you get to that quarter mark, but you know you will be more than ready for it by the time you get there. 

Side note: I can tell you from experience this has been me. I have been pushing against brick walls because “policy” says I need to have had XXX years of experience to be where I am at. I said no I don’t and showed management I could and can without that. Don’t let anyone tell you NO. Believing the NO, will be the first big mistake you make. YES you can. That’s what you need to tell yourself. No matter what. Yes, some days may be harder than others, but I promise you, you have this. 

Let’s do the same as we did above for the jump from you quarter career title to half way mark, then the half way to three quarters and then finally the three quarters to 10 years. Each of these sections need to include what you can do to get to the next step and things that may get in your way. 

Personal Life

Life is too short to just focus on your career, so I want you not to take a different color pen and add in the things you want to accomplish in your personal life in the next 10 years. Some of these items may have to be planned for/ involve stuff you can do and some of them may not. Include as many of as little details as you want. 

Road Map

We have our road map, not what Jessica? This is just a map with writing, it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Wrong, wrong and wrong. If those things are really the things you want to happen they will. You have to believe. You have to tell yourself YES you can. 

I want you to put your road map somewhere where you are going to see if everyday. Somewhere that you can visualize your aspirations everyday. 

Every Damn Day

Every day I want you to say to yourself, “ I will be XXX in 2.5 years, I will be XXX in 5 years, I will be XXX in 7.5 years and this will lead me to XXX.” Tell yourself you WILL and see what happens. Telling yourself is believing and believing is seeing. Seeing the future drives you to work that much harder now to make it come true. 

Yes you can have your cake and eat it too. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. Surround yourself with people who support you and manifest the energy you need and feel. 

Yes you can!