End Of Year Career Reflections: Journal Prompts For A Career Change
Another year has come and gone! *Insert more end-of-the-year clichés here* 😉
December is a popular time to reflect on all areas of our lives: relationships, work, education, home projects, finances…the list goes on.
Reflecting on the past and strategizing for the future ensures that we are creating intentional careers. Historically, people used to float through their careers and dream of retirement. Work used to only serve one purpose — making money!
Now, professionals, especially those in the outdoor and environmental industries, have recognized that our careers are tools to drive change and make massive impact! We may all still be dreaming of retirement, but our jobs can be empowering, fulfilling, and exciting, too.
Here’s the catch: creating a fulfilling career doesn’t happen accidentally — it takes a lot of intentionality. That’s why it is so damn important to complete yearly career reflections!
Before we dive into the journal prompts, I want to note how important it is to work ON our careers, and not just IN our careers.
When we work ON our careers, we’re looking at the big picture. We note our accomplishments, plan our next steps, and prioritize items that will help us create a fulfilling career, overall. Many professionals only work ON their careers once a year (or even less).
Instead, we spend most of our time working IN our careers (AKA your nitty gritty, 40-hour/week job). When we work IN our careers, we are completing on-the-job duties and daily tasks. Working IN your career is your job — it’s what you get paid for.
Rarely do we take a step back from our day-to-day jobs to work ON our careers, reflect on our career goals, and strategize our next steps. And, I mean really strategize.
The following exercises should take you at least 10-20 minutes, but feel free to spend an hour, or multiple days thinking about the questions. Journaling, reflecting, and planning rarely happens in 10 minutes!
The only rule is that you MUST write it down. These questions and answers should not live in your head. Open up a Google doc or put pen to paper — don’t just think about it.
One last thing — some years are harder than others; know that you don’t always have to reflect at the end of the year. It’s OK to skate right into the new year without looking back on the last chapter. There is no timeline for reflections or planning — save this article for whenever you’re ready.
Alright — time to get started. Grab your pen and paper, and let the journaling begin! I like to separate my career reflections into three categories: Past, Present, and Future
Past: Taking Inventory of Your Career
Jot down your on-the-job accomplishments from this past year. What are you proud of?
Which projects went really well? Where were you most successful? What quantifiable results did you produce?
What have you learned this year? How have you grown professionally? (Think about the hard AND soft skills that you’ve gained or improved upon!)
Reflect on a low moment from this past year. Did you learn any lessons from this experience? Is there something that you can do to better handle or avoid this situation in the future?
Reflect on a high moment from this past year! What lessons did you learn? What went well? Did you properly celebrate your success? (If not, make a plan to do so ASAP!)
Present: Current Career Reflections
How do you feel about your career right now? Take inventory of the feelings you have about your job or current situation.
How does your career add to or detract from your overall life fulfillment?
Future: Career Planning & Strategizing
Need a quick career win? Here are my 5 favorite tools to help you simplify your outdoor job search.
Where do you see yourself in the next 3, 6, and 12 months? Is there a job search in your future? A promotion, new project, or raise?
What types of professional development opportunities are you most interested in over this next year? Which skills do you want to develop? (Expand your horizons! Think about courses, degrees, certifications, conferences, webinars, experiences, groups, memberships, etc.) If you’re drawing a blank, set aside time to do some research over the next few weeks!
What would it look like to prioritize and strategize your professional development and career growth over the next 12 months? Consider timelines and overall goals. (And, is this something that your employer will fund or do you need to do this on your own accord?)
Who do you have to become to take the next steps in your career? What daily habits do you need to change? What type of person do you need to grow into to be successful in the next stage?
What is an on-the-job task that you’ve been avoiding? Set aside time in your schedule over the next 30 days to get it done!
What is a larger career task that you’ve been avoiding? Maybe you’ve been meaning to update your LinkedIn, start job hunting, increase your retirement contribution, or join a professional network. Schedule in time to start moving the needle on those goals!
If your future goals include starting your career in the outdoor or environmental industries, watch the Career Outdoors free webinar: How to Land Your First Outdoor Job! Then, pop over to the Top Outdoor and Environmental Job Boards to get your job search started on the right foot.
Lastly, you don’t only have to reflect once a year. I like to have a Career Date with myself every month! I pour a glass of wine and sit down at my computer for 10 minutes to journal. I follow the many of the same prompts that are included above, but only reflect on the past 30 days.
A monthly career date ensures that you are continuing down the right track month after month. When you’re taking note of your accomplishments, feelings, and plans every few weeks, it’s nearly impossible to slip up. (And, it’s basically insurance that you won’t wake up miserable in 10 years thinking, “WTF am I doing with my life?!”)
Hell, maybe a monthly career date can be part of your New Year's resolution! Cheers!
