Taking Charge of Your Career and Your Life

Part five

Below is a questionnaire I developed when I was lecturing to a night school group.  The group included students, people starting their career, professionals, executives and seniors.

I asked the group to do the questionnaire after I lectured them for weeks on the subject, "Taking Charge of Your Career and Your Life."  If you have been reading my blogs on this subject, you are ready to do the questionnaire. 

Please do so.  It will enable you to evaluate where you are and where you can go on your personal happiness level.

If you have not read the four other blogs, please read them first.  Remember all my blogs are listed on the right side of the blog page.

Taking Charge of Your Career and Your Life

Questionnaire

The Five Steps to

Taking Charge of Your Career and Your Life

Step I:  Taking Charge:  Finding the Real You

Step II:  The Decision

Step III:  The Implementation

Step IV:  The Evaluation

Step V:  Happiness

Step I:  Taking Charge

Finding the Real You

Objective – To prepare yourself so that you are capable of making an effective career and life decisions by:

• Clearing away all of your negative baggage
• Gaining an understanding of who you are and how you feel about things
• Gaining an understanding of how your decisions are affected by:
• Not knowing what you want
• Your fear of failure
• Your additions to security, money, power and ego
• Pressures and expectations created by the outside world (your spouse, your friends, your boss, your commitments, etc.)

All of this should lead you to selecting alternative career choice or personal life choices based entirely upon your happiness

1. Complete your personal Happiness Evaluation chart (next page) and then answer the following questions:

• How do you feel about the results of your personal Happiness Evaluation chart?

Personal Happiness Evaluation Chart

Divide your age into four segments (quadrants).  Enter the age range into each quadrant on the chart below (i.e. if your are 39, enter 1 - 9 years into quadrant one, 10 - 19 into quadrant two, 20 - 29 into quadrant three and 30 – 39 into quadrant four).  Fill in the chart below by placing a number of points into each quadrant for every year there is a significant change in your happiness.  This could be career/job happiness or life happiness.  Connect the points to create a happiness plot.

  Quadrant 1 (yrs x – y)      Quadrant 2 (yrs x – y)      Quadrant 3 (yrs x – y)      Quadrant 4 (yrs x – y)

Happiness              10             9 Mostly Happy             8            7            6 Sometimes Happy                       5            4            3 Mostly Unhappy                      2           1					Happiness 10 9         Mostly         Happy 8
					7 6         Sometimes           Happy 5
					4 3          Mostly            Unhappy 2 1

Example

Personal Happiness Evaluation Chart

Divide your age into four segments (quadrants).  Enter the age range into each quadrant on the chart below (i.e. if your are 39, enter 1 - 9 years into quadrant one, 10 - 19 into quadrant two, 20 - 29 into quadrant three and 30 – 39 into quadrant four).  Fill in the chart below by placing a number of points into each quadrant for every year there is a significant change in your happiness.  This could be career/job happiness or life happiness.  Connect the points to create a happiness plot.

  Quadrant 1 (yrs 1 – 9)     Quadrant 2 (yrs 10 – 19)    Quadrant 3 (yrs 20 – 29)  Quadrant 4 (yrs 30 – 39)

Happiness              10             9 Mostly Happy             8            7            6 Sometimes Happy                       5            4            3 Mostly Unhappy                       2           1	·        ·	.			Happiness 10 9         Mostly         Happy 8
		.	.         .	.	7 6         Sometimes           Happy 5
				.                      .	4 3          Mostly            Unhappy 2 1

Describe what has been happening in your career and/or your life for the last two years

Describe actions you can take to raise your “current point” on the Personal Happiness Evaluation chart

Step I  Taking Charge

Finding the Real You

Knowing what you want

Objective – To prepare yourself so that you are capable of making an effective career decision by:

• Clearing away all of your negative baggage
• Gaining an understanding of who you are and how you feel about things
• Gaining an understanding of how your decisions are affected by:
• Not knowing what you want
• Your fear of failure
• Your additions to security, money, power and ego
• Pressures and expectations created by the outside world (your spouse, your friends, your boss, your commitments, etc.)

All of this should lead you to selecting alternative career choice or personal life choices based entirely upon your happiness.

2.  Answer the following statements or questions by looking into yourself and stating how you feel NOW.  Do not answer these statements or questions based upon what you want the answer to be or what your answer might be in the future.  In addition, do not answer these questions or statements based upon what the outside world (spouse, parents, friends, etc.) thinks your answer should be.  The right answers are how you feel about these questions or statements right NOW.

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

            1A.  I am in tune with who I am and what I want ________

                        Do you know what tasks you are good at performing?  Do you know which tasks make you happy?  Are you realistic about your intellectual, emotional, and physical limitations in performing the job/task you would love?

            2A.  I am enjoying life today _______

                        Or are you waiting for your life to get better in the future?

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1.     I do not agree

2.     I sometimes agree

3.     I usually agree

4.     I strongly agree

3A.  How do you feel about this statement ______

                  “When you don’t realize how short life is you don’t enjoy the path, you only think about the destination.”

      4A.  How do you feel about this statement ______

                  “Can you accept that life is a journey and like a safari there will be some problems and there will be some risks, but, you probably won’t get killed and you definitely will have fun.”

      5A.  I can visualize where I am going in my career and/or my life ______

                  Can you close your eyes and see yourself becoming the person you want to become?  Are your dreams of the perfect career and/or life realistic?

      6A.  I see myself successful ______

      7A.  I see myself happy _______

      8A.  I would change my career path if I knew that my current career direction will not lead to my happiness _______

      9A.  My personal life is not affecting my business life ______

      10A.  My school life is not affecting my personal life ______

      11A.  I’m sure I am not happy with my current situation ______

                  Or are you only looking at the negatives?

      12A.  I think in terms of what I do like not just what I don’t like ______

      13A.  I am using both sides of my brain ______

                  Everyone has a creative right side and a logical left side of their brain.  In your job/task or life are you using both of these hemispheres?  Do you see the importance in doing so?  Do you believe that you will never know all there is to know about yourself if you do not explore both your creative, visual and verbal capabilities (right side) along with your logical, mathematical and organizational capabilities (left side)?

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

      14A.  I have or I can create credibility through experience and

                      accomplishments ______

                  You can’t get what you want if you don’t have experience.  You can’t get what you want if you have not accomplished anything.  Are you willing to do all things necessary to gain the experience you need?  Are you willing to be patient and accept that you might not get promoted and/or have the life experience you want until you have the necessary experience?  Do you realize that experience without accomplishment will hold you back?  Do you realize how good you will feel when you accomplish something … no matter how small?

            15A.  I have presence ______

                        I have knowledge, strategic thinking, confidence, communication skills, good personal presentation and excellent leadership traits.  With all of these building blocks I can create a presence.

            16A.  I have resolve, commitment and focus ______

                        You have experience, accomplishment, resolve, commitment and focus.  Resolve means you are committed to your beliefs and are willing to take action on them. If you want the world to listen to you, deliver your experience and accomplishments with resolve and commitment.  Doing so will give you a presence.

            17A.  I am focused!  I can prioritize! ______

                        Focusing stops your thoughts from wondering.  It helps in decision making.  It helps you take action. Without focus, your career and/or your life will blur with you day to day actions.  You will find yourself handcuffed and unable to reach your daily and long term goals.

            18A.  How do you feel about this statement ______

                        “There is only one number one priority, one number two priority, One number three priority, etc.  If you try to make everything top priority you will fail.  Do you let others (wife, boss, etc.) convince or push you into accepting that more than one of your tasks are the number one priority, your output will not be acceptable.  This will make you and the people who are insisting everything get done at once unhappy.”

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

19A.  I can love myself even if nobody acknowledges my capabilities ______

                        Can you love yourself even if you don’t have the presence to make yourself look good to others (boss, wife, friends, etc.)?  Can you love yourself even if you are passed over for a promotion that was given to someone less capable than you?

            20A.  I have a mentor to help me with my career and/or my life ______

                        Do you have someone to talk to about your career and/or life?  Is that person a clear thinker?  Does that person have the experience to guide you? Is that person in a position to help you get what you want and deserve?

21A.  I am taking actions that will enable me to become the person I want to become ______

            22A.  I figure out how I can not why I can not ______

            23A.  I am willing to retrain myself ______

                        I am willing to go back to school and get training in a field that will make me happy.  I am willing to take a part time job in addition to my current one if it will lead to a career choice that will make me happy.

            24A.  I take the time to appreciate life ______

                        Do you understand what it means to “smell the roses?”  Can you accept that life is a bitch, but, everyday something happens that you can appreciate?  Are you looking at what is good about you career choice and/or your life or are you only looking at “what is wrong with this picture?”  If the only good thing that happened to you today was lunch, can you go home and tell your spouse about the great ham sandwich you had for lunch?  Can you appreciate the security you have created for yourself or do you believe it is holding you back?

            25A.  I am involved in what is happening to the world around me ______

                        Are you waiting or hoping that someone else will fix the problems?

            26A.  I am involved in what is happening to my school ______

                        Are you waiting or hoping that someone else will fix the problems?

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

27A.  I am involved in what is happening to my family or friends ______

                        Are you waiting or hoping that someone else will fix the problems?

            28A.  I involve myself in those things that make me happy ______

                        Do you subject yourself to things that make you unhappy?

Dealing with your fear of failure

Answer the following statements or questions by looking into yourself and stating how you feel NOW.  Do not answer these statements or questions based upon what you want the answer to be or what your answer might be in the future.  In addition, do not answer these questions or statements based upon what the outside world (spouse, parents, friends, etc.) thinks your answer should be.  The right answers are how you feel about these questions or statements right NOW.

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

1B.  I am able to take risks ______

                        Can you accept that “life without problems means you don’t take many risks, but, life without taking risks is half a life?”  Can you accept that you will survive any risk you take?  Can you make risk taking fun?  Do you realize that taking risks is part of your growth?

            2B.  How do you feel about this statement ______

                        “Taking risks will not guarantee my happiness, but, I will have to take some risks to get what I want and all I deserve.”

            3B.  I believe I must take a risk on my own performance to convince others to do the same ______

            4B.  I am good at making decisions ______

            5B.  I want to be the one to decide ______

                        Would you rather someone else make the decision?

            6B.  How do you feel about this statement ______

                        “Saying I’m so confused when being asked for a decision is just another way of saying I don’t want to make a decision because I’m afraid I might make a wrong decision.”

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

7B.  How do you feel about this statement ______

                        “In business and in life you will be successful if you make more right decisions that wrong decisions.  However, not making any decision will usually turn out to be a wrong decision.”

            8B.  For one month, can you refrain from saying “I shouda done that” or “I coulda done that ______

            9B.  I believe I will survive any decision I may make ______

            10B.  I believe that realistically my worst fears will probably not occur if I take this risk or make this decision ______

            11B.  I believe I will always have enough food to eat, air to breath and shelter even if the risk I take or the decision I make turns out to be wrong ______

            12B.  I believe that the people who love me will love me even if the risk I take or the decision I make turns out to be wrong ______

Am I addicted to security, money, power and ego

Answer the following statements or questions by looking into yourself and stating how you feel NOW.  Do not answer these statements or questions based upon what you want the answer to be or what your answer might be in the future.  In addition, do not answer these questions or statements based upon what the outside world (spouse, parents, friends, etc.) thinks your answer should be.  The right answers are how you feel about these questions or statements right NOW.

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

            1C.  I am not addicted to security ______

                        Do you refrain from making career and life choices based upon security?  Will you avoid trading your happiness for security?  Are you sure you are not staying in your current job or life situation because it is more secure to do so?  Are you really willing to give up all this security to create a happier career and life for yourself?

2C.  I am involved in my current career choice or life situation for some other reason than security ______

If you usually or strongly agree (answer 3 or 4 above) than what is the reason:

            3C.  I am not addicted to money ______

                        Do you avoid making career and life choices based upon money?  Will you avoid trading your happiness for money?  Would you really turn down a job you didn’t think would make you happy if it offered you significantly more money?

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

            4C.  I am involved in my current career choice or life situation for some other reason than money ______

If you usually or strongly agree (answer 3 or 4 above) than what is the reason:

            5C.  How do you feel about this statement ______

                        “The purpose of money is to give me the freedom of choice.  I will not let money control my life because I am willing to make less expensive choices if that will make me happy.”

            6C.  How do you feel about this statement ______

                        “I will always have all the money I require if I’m happy, but, I will never have enough money if I am unhappy.”

            7C.  I am not addicted to power and ego ______

                        I do not make career and life choices based upon how it affects my ego.  I will not trade my happiness for enhancing my ego.  Would you really ask for a demotion to a lower level job if by doing so it would make you happy?

            8C.  I am involved in my current career choice or life situation for some other reason than power and ego ______

                        If you usually or strongly agree (answer 3 or 4 above) than what is the reason:

Dealing with pressures and expectations from the outside world

Answer the following statements or questions by looking into yourself and stating how you feel NOW.  Do not answer these statements or questions based upon what you want the answer to be or what your answer might be in the future.  In addition, do not answer these questions or statements based upon what the outside world (spouse, parents, friends, etc.) thinks your answer should be.  The right answers are how you feel about these questions or statements right NOW.

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

1D.  How do you feel about this statement ______

                        “The outside world (wife, boss, parents, friends, etc.) might be the cause of my problems, but, I must acknowledge ownership of the solutions.”

            2D.  I can be spontaneous in my career and/or my life ______

                        There is a difference between being spontaneous and being a flake.  Every commitment you make takes away some of your spontaneity.  You can’t be as spontaneous if you are married.  You can’t be as spontaneous if you have children.  You can’t be as spontaneous if you have a large mortgage payment.  You can’t be as spontaneous if you have a large car payment.  You can’t be as spontaneous if you have financial or emotional commitments to your parents, spouse or friends.  You can’t be as spontaneous if you have financial or emotional commitments to yourself.

3D.  I accept I have given up some spontaneity to have the other things I want in my life ______

                        Or are you resenting the people or other commitments like you wife, children, mortgage payment, etc. for making you less spontaneous?

            4D.  In the future I will avoid any new commitments that don’t make me happy.  I will also avoid any new commitments that reduce my options to make myself happy.

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

            5D.  I accept my current plan ______

                        Or are you over planning your future?  Is your attitude “if it feels good today I’m going to go for it?  If it stops feeling good I will do something else tomorrow?”

            6D.  I have avoided becoming another “Peter Principal” statistic ______

                        The Peter Principal is a book written by Dr. Laurence Peter many years ago.  It states that a company will continue to promote a good employee until that employee reaches his/her level of incompetence.  Are you in a job that you are not really competent to perform?  Could you say no to a promotion that might make you another “Peter Principal” statistic?

            7D.  I am willing to take one step backward to take two steps forward ______

                        Would you really take what might be considered a demotion by others if that lower level job/task would make you happier?  Would you really take what might be considered a demotion by others if that lower level job would give you new experiences that might lead to a happier job/task?

            8D.  How do you feel about the following statement ______

                        “Being confident, not acting confident will make me happy.”

            9D.  How do you feel about the following statement ______

                        “Knowing inside I am right will stop me from being defensive.”

            10D.  How do you feel about the following statement ______

                        “Asking without demanding is more satisfying and works better most of the time than winning through intimidation.”

            11D.  How do you feel about the following statement ______

                        “Receiving without demanding will make me happier.”

            12D.  How do you feel about the following statement ______

                        “Finding another way to get what I want, when the people I’m asking are not giving, will make me happier.”

            13D.  How do you feel about the following statement ______

                        “Not being addicted to getting my own way will stop me from being miserable while I do something to change the negative situation.”

Answers:  The following are four possible answers to the questions or statements below.  Write the number that is most appropriate on the line provided.

1. I do not agree
2. I sometimes agree
3. I usually agree
4. I strongly agree

            14D.  How do you feel about the following statement ______

                        “The people in my life love me just the way I am.  They will love me even if I fail.  They will love me even if I am not rich.  They will love me even if I don’t get that higher level job. They will love me even if I take a risk or make a decision that does not turn out positive.

Step I:  Taking Charge

Finding the Real You

Ratings

POINTS:  Add up your points from each section and enter                                  POINTS

        

            A.  Knowing what you want:                                                                      ________

            B.  Dealing with your fear of failure                                                         ________

            C.  Am I addicted to security, money, power or ego                                 ________

            D.  Dealing with pressures and expectations from the outside world        ________

            TOTAL POINTS                                                                                       ________

Ratings:  Compare your TOTAL POINTS to the following                                POINTS

• I am Taking Charge of my Career and ,my Life                                        217 - 248
  
  
• I have not taken charge yet, but I know what I need to do
  to get me there                                                                                                        186 - 216
  
  
• I have a great deal to think about                                                               124 - 185
  
  
• It’s not my fault!  If everyone would stop treating
  me so badly I would be perfect                                                                   62 – 123

Step II:  The Decision

Objective:  Using the information and insights you have learned in Step I, create realistic career choice and life alternatives that will make you happy today.  This may include new job opportunities, career paths and/or solutions toward happiness in your life.

1. List no more than five realistic career choice or life choices you are or could be good at performing.  These choices are detailed activities that will lead to specific career choice changes and/or specific personal life changes.

1
2
3
4
5

2. List no more than five realistic career choice and/or personal life changes you think will be fun and that you always wanted to do.

1
2
3
4
5

3. Combine list 1 and 2 placing the career choice and/or life choices that match both lists on top.

This now becomes your prioritized “Fun” list.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

4. List all the career choice and/or personal life current situations or potential future situations that do or could make you unhappy.

5. List all of the career choice and/or personal life functions or activities that you would love to do or change but, stretch beyond your intellectual, physical or emotional limitations. 
   For example, you may want to be a professional basketball player; however, you don’t have the physical makeup to do so.  You may want to be a world class chess player, but, don’t have the intellectual makeup to do so.  You may want to run a fortune 500 company, but, don’t have the emotional makeup to do so. 
   
   This exercise is about knowing you and being realistic with yourself.

6. Combine lists 4 and 5 placing the career choice and/or life functions or activities that match at the top of your list.

This now becomes your prioritized “No Fun” or “Not Realistic” list.

7. Remove from your prioritized “fun” list and career choice and/or personal life functions or activities that are similar to the prioritized “No Fun” and/or “Not Realistic” list.
   
   This now becomes your prioritized “Happy” list.

8. List all your current commitments that might negatively affect your career choice and/or personal life happiness.  Prioritize the commitments that you are sure would be too painful to eliminate, replace or change by putting them at the top of the list.
   
   Remember there is only one number one priority, one number two priority, one number three priority, etc.

9. List any fears of failure or fears of making decisions which you can not overcome. Also, list any addictions to security, money and/or power/ego which you can not overcome.  These fears or addictions are ones that are holding you back from making career choice and/or personal life choices that would lead to your happiness.

10. Combine lists 8 and 9 in the priority you believe most negatively affects your happiness.
    
    This now becomes your prioritized “Holding Me Back” list

11. Evaluate all the career choice and/or personal life functions/actions on your “Happy” list against the ones on your “Holding Me Back” list.  Subtract any career choice and/or personal life functions/actions on the “Happy” list that might be affected by any of the item on your “Holding Me Back” list.
    
    This now becomes your prioritized “Realistic Alternative” list.

NOTE:  you should have at least two “Realistic Alternatives” on your list.  If not, you are not ready to proceed to Step III.  We suggest you work on the things in Step I and Step II before you go on to Step III.

Step III  The Implementation

You now have at least two “Realistic Alternative” career choice and/or personal life functions/actions that will make you happy.

1. Research
1. Discuss possible implementations solutions of your “Realistic Alternatives” with people that have real world experience or detailed knowledge of the career choice and/or personal life functions/actions that will make you happy.  Make sure these “Mentors” are people you trust and have your best interest in their heart. 
   
   Friends and Family members might be OK, but, they tend to tell you what you want to hear or what they think is best for you based upon their personal choices.  Employment agencies usually have one thing in mind and that is how to “sell” you to one of their accounts.  They are not that interested in your hopes and dreams. Also, they have little interest in your personal life issues.
   
   We suggest you see a trained professional who is motivated in helping you make your own decisions that will lead to your happiness.  Their motivation might be financial.  They do a good job for you then you recommend them to someone then they recommend them to someone… on and on.  It’s a win win situation for both you and them.
   
   
2. Take a part time job, after your normal working day if necessary, that might be the career choice that will make you happy.  It probably will be one on your “Realistic Alternative” list. Don’t be focused on how much it pays.  You are doing this to get first hand experience.  You may find out that this is the career for me or that what you thought was going to be the job you always wanted is no better or maybe even worst than the one you have now.
   
   Let’s say you are currently in finance and you think a job in sales is the career path you want. Take a commission only part time sales job after work and try selling something.  You may love it and are great at it or you might find that you don’t have the emotional makeup to be a salesperson.
   
   A personal life example might be you asking for what you want. Not demanding it, just asking for it.  When your wife or friends ask you what restaurant you want to go to, do you say “I don’t know. Where do you want to go?”  Try saying, I want Italian.  If everybody else wants Chinese, you can go along, but at least you said what you wanted.  People like people that say what they want.  When my wife asks me which pork chop I want I say “the best one.”


3. Take career counseling classes or specific career choice function classes at your local Adult school, professional training school or on-line.
   
   

4. Go to a seminar or job fair that will give you insight into the career choice and/or personal life function/actions you think will make you happy.
   
   

5. Research on the web or in the library, everything that is written about the subject that you believe will make you happy. 
   
   Let’s say you want to be a Black Jack dealer.  There are many books and articles that will tell you what, where and how to get into that career.
   
   Let’s say you are having boyfriend problems.  There are many books and articles that might give you insight into how you might approach the problem.
   
   
6. Go to a Life Coach.  Pick one that feels right.  Trust yourself.  You know what feels right and what does not.
   
   

2. Implementation
1. Have conversations with your spouse and/or parents so they know what you believe will lead you to happiness and what you plan to do about it.
   
   
2. Have conversations with your current company’s’ Personal or Career Counselor department to determine if you can get what you want without leaving the company.  Any good standing company will keep these conversations private.
   
   
3. Have conversations with your boss only if you trust she/he is interested in your happiness.  This is a tough call because a boss is not motivated to help a good employee take a job outside their domain.  Also, once you let the boss know you are interested in a career choice change, he/she might not think you will be giving 100% to your current job.  There are bosses who will help you.  Bosses who feel good about seeing you get ahead and happy.  Make sure your boss is one of them.
   
   
4. Always be willing to take one step backward to get two steps forward toward you happiness.  Take a lesser – lower paying job if it will lead to the experience you will need to get the career you want.  Make the life choice you believe will lead to your happiness.  Remember, the people that love you will still love you.

Step IV:  The Evaluation

Objective:  By this time you have implemented one of your: Realistic Alternative” career choice and/or personal life choices.  You may have done this part time or full time.  You may have only gone back to school to retrain yourself.  You may have made the difficult personal life decision.  You may have seen a Life Coach.  It is now time to evaluate your new experience.  Remember the end goal is happiness.

How do you feel about the new career choice and/or personal life path you have implemented?

Step IV:  The Evaluation

Plus – Minus Chart

Objective:  The objective of the “Plus – Minus” chart is to determine how you feel about career choice and/or the personal life changes you have made or considering making.  Remember, the reason you are making this change is to increase your happiness.  The outcome of the “Plus – Minus” chart should help you determine if you have or are going to accomplish that goal. 

NOTE:  Don’t trick yourself into believing you are happier than you are.

How to use the “Plus – Minus” chart

1. Write in the plus column every element of this career choice and/or personal life change that is having a positive impact on your happiness.
   
   Example:  “this job is close to my home.”
   
   
2. Give this positive (Plus) element any value you believe it is worth.
   
   NOTE:  By choosing any value, you can have one element override all other elements.  For example, if having a lot of free time is more important to you than anything else, and this job is only four days a week, you may choose to give this element a higher value than all other elements in the “Minus” column.
   
   Don’t be so quick to do this.  Look at the finished chart before you make that decision.
   
   
3. Total the values in the “Plus” column.
   
   
4. Write, in the “Minus” column every element of this career choice and/or personal life change that is having a negative impact on your happiness.
   
   Example:  “I have to drive an hour to work and an hour back every day.”
   
   
5. Give this negative (Minus) element any value you believe it is worth.
   
   
6. Total the values in the “Minus” column
   
   NOTE:  After you complete the chart you may want to go back and change some of the values or either the “Plus” or “Minus” or both sides.  That is OK, but, make sure you are being realistic – not just trying to make the numbers come out the way you or others want them to be.

Step IV:  The Evaluation

Plus – Minus Chart

7. Compare the total values of your “Plus” elements and your “Minus” elements.  If the “Plus” value is significantly higher than the “Minus” value, you should feel you have made or are going to make the right decision/choices. 
   
   If the “Minus” value is significantly higher than the “Plus” value, you need to find out why before doing something radical (like leaving your current job, changing  your personal life situation, changing your mind about the career path you are considering or changing you mind about the personal life change you are considering).
   
   If the “Plus” and the “Minus” values are about even, ask yourself is you are happy most of the time.  If you are, that’s great.  Go to Step V.  If you are unhappy most of the time, try to find out why before you make any changes.
   
   NOTE:  We suggest you do the “Plus – Minus” chart about every three months.

Plus – Minus Chart

                        PLUS                    VALUE                             MINUS                 VALUE

TOTAL PLUS VALUE  _______

TOTAL MINUS VALUE  _______

Step IV:  The Evaluation

Objective:  By this time you have implemented one of your: Realistic Alternative” career choice and/or personal life choices.  You may have done this part time or full time.  You may have only gone back to school to retrain yourself.  You may have made the difficult personal life decision.  You may have seen a Life Coach.  It is now time to evaluate your new experience.  Remember the end goal is happiness.

Can you make some adjustments to your “Realistic Alternative” career choice and/or personal life actions you have taken or plan to take that would make your happiness even better?  If so, what adjustments would you make?

If this new path is working for you, HOO – RAY!  You are one of the lucky ones.  Try writing why you think this new path is working and then move on to Step V.

Step IV:  The Evaluation

Does your old career choice or personal life starting to look better than the “Realistic Alternative” you have chosen or are about to choose?  If so, describe why.

If this new path is still not working, do you know what you need to do next?  If you do, describe below.  If you don’t, try doing steps I thru IV over again or seek help from someone you trust.

Step V:  Happiness

Congratulations you are one of the few that have made it this far.

Making it this far assumes you are happy in your career choice and/or your personal life most of the time.  Most of the time does not mean all of the time.  Being happy all of the time is not realistic and, believe it or not, will not make you happy.

My wife likes to say “life is a bitch and then you die.”  Conflict, stress and aggravation are part of living.  Wants, desires and change is also part of living. If you got everything you wanted all of the time, living would stop being interesting.  Life being interesting plays a major role in being happy.

Getting everything you want all of the time would stop you from appreciating the world around you.  Think about the things you appreciate.  Do you think a very rich person appreciates those things?  Probably not. Filthy rich people can get those things at a snap for their fingers, so they need much much more than you to appreciate the things that make them happy.  If they get everything, they won’t have anything to appreciate.

There is one thing that can make you happy all of the time and you probably will never stop appreciating it – LOVE!!  Love for yourself, love for your family and friends and maybe even love for you career.

Enjoy your life…… YOU DESERVE IT!