When youre not sure what you want out of your career

When youre leid sure what you want out of yur careerWhen youre not sure what you want out of your careerOver the course of 31 stops in 11 different cities for theBossed Up BookTour, I ran into a question from the audience that came up time and time againwhat do I do if I dont know what I want to do?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThis is a major reason why women choose to join me atBossed Up Bootcamp,our weekend for women navigating career transition. While I write and speak a lot abouthowto achieve your goals in a strategic and sustainable way, half the battle is figuring outwhatyoure striving towardsWhat if you dont know what your goals are? What if youre feeling lost, stuck, andunclear about your career?Embrace the DiscomfortIts easy to ignore the gaping hole in your heart when yourpassionand purpose feel unfulfilled. That existential dread is easily blanketed over with drink ing, sex, food, drugs, constant travel, or any of your preferred forms of self-soothing.Dont distract yourself from the career crisis at hand dive into it.Be honest with yourself about whats not working. What do you feel is lacking? Whose careers make you feel a pang of jealousy? What are you longing for? Write it out if you need to get clear on what feels amiss.This is not an easy or glamorous process. It can bring up feelings of inadequacy, shame, and anxiety, especially if you dont knowhowto solve the problem yet. Bring self-compassion to this exploration. As I say in theBossed Up Manifesto,forgive yourself now for the less-than-perfect decisions youll make.Because before you can figure outhowto get there, you have to get clear onwhatyoure gettin after. I write about this concept inthe Bossed Up Bookin even greater detail often as we hone our analytical, critical-thinking skills through formal education, we accidentally lose our imagination along the way. We stop focusing on wha t wed love and start limiting our view to what seems practical, possible, and reasonable. That can easily lead you to a hollow sense of success. You can build a career thats great for someone, but not great foryou.Make it PlayfulIf you know what youdontwant, but still find it difficult to imagine what youdowant for your career, experiment with lower stakes. Career planning can easily become a very stuffy and formal conversation and that kills your creativity Dont take yourself so seriously.Turn your exploration into a playful imagination game by asking your best friend to daydream with youWhat would you do if you won the lottery tomorrow?If you knew the world would end in 10 years?If you were writing a postcard from yourself 5 years into the future to your present self?Play with it. Swirl your vision around in the your wine glass with pals. Bounce the idea around in between deep breathes on a jog together. Try your best to suspend the TO DO list making part of your brain that wants to dive into the doing and just play with dreaming.Devote Time to ExplorationHeres the hardest part about living in the discomfort of career transition this stuff doesnt go away overnight. It takes time to shift the course of your entire career. It takes dedication, consistency, and faith in your vision to make it a reality.ManyBossed Up Bootcampalums leave our powerful weekend together with a newfound sense of direction and confidence, but that ish doesnt manifest overnight Thats why its so important for me to keep in touch with those alums for years to come, so I can hear how things are going for them and share their incredible career transformation stories (likethis one from Maggieorthis one from Kerriann) to inspire even moreMake sure youre carving out dedicated time monthly, weekly, and daily to devote to exploring whats next for you. Whether you find written reflection or talking it out with friends more productive for you, make sure youre consistently creating the space y ou need to explore.Hang with People Who Inspire YouFinally, when youre devoting time to explore your deepest-held desires and career ambitions, make sure youre sharing your experience with the kind of people who are worthy of it.Sharing your hopes and dreams is a vulnerable act and not everyones worthy of your vulnerability. Brene Brown actually listed out six different kinds of people who arent worthy of your vulnerability when talking with Oprah on Super Soul SundaySurround yourself with the people who build you up, who contribute to your creative brainstorm, who can inspire you to dream bigger, to go for it, and to throw your hat into the ring.And if you find yourself searching for that kind of a courage community and coming up short, know thatthe Bossed Up Courage Community on Facebookis here for you.Join me LIVE to do this togetherNavigating uncertainty, feelingstuck, and not knowing whats next for your life and career is not an easy place to be. But you dont have to go it alo ne.Join me at an upcomingBossed Up Bootcampfor research-driven training presented by industry experts, and youll be surrounded by like-minded women who are all striving to find their own version of a happy, healthy, and sustainable career path, too.Our nextBootcampweekend is coming up July 27 28 in Chicago. Learn more and register to join me now atbossedup.org/bootcamp.This article first appeared on Bossed Up.