Having a realistic sense of where you are on the path towards your goals can be extremely helpful in calibrating expectations. I frequently ask my clients to name a goal and then ask them if that goal were represented on a road map as NEW YORK and their starting point were LOS ANGELES, what city do they currently perceive they are in on that journey.
I then ask them what city do they think others perceive they are currently in.
SOBERING PERSPECTIVE
Let’s look at a few examples:
GOAL #1 – SUPPORT MYSELF AS A COMPOSER
If the target annual salary were $75k and the composer was currently earning $15k annually, what city on the LA to NY map would you place them on their journey to that goal?
GOAL #2 – WORK CONSISTENTLY AS A FEATURE FILM COMPOSER
If the target goal were scoring at least three films per year and the composer were currently averaging two, what city would they be on that journey towards that goal.
GOAL #3 – BE A HIGHLY IN DEMAND FILM COMPOSER
If the demand for composers like Michael Giacchino, Alexandre Desplat and Hans Zimmer were represented by NY on the map and the composer were making a living as a film composer and has scored two well-known films, what city would you place them in on their journey?
THE VALUE OF THIS EXERCISE
- It is sometimes quite helpful to have a sense of where you are a trip.
- It allows you to appreciate how far you have gone while maintaining a realistic view of how much more there is to travel.
- It allows you to pace yourself.
- It allows you to understand how to budget, make plans, allocate resources, and determine needs.
- It allows you to get a better understanding of how others might see you in the context of your goals.
- It allows you to calibrate expectations.
TOSSING OUT THE MAP
While this exercise has its value, it is also important to remember that careers don’t follow an exact road map. Embrace balancing using maps/guideposts/markers/goals and also being open to wandering freely. Incorporating both can lead to quite an adventure.
WHAT CITY ARE YOU IN ON YOUR CAREER GOAL JOURNEY?
