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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to figure out what you want to do first.
Only then do you need to put a lot of energy into figuring out how you're going to do it.
Today's tip comes from career coach Jenny Blake.
In her book Pivot The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One.
She offers guidance for thinking about what is next professionally.
But a lot of her advice is relevant, even if you are not considering a career switch.
For instance, she advises that people avoid the tyranny of the how.
She attributes the phrase tyranny of the hows to coach Jeff Jacobson.
Blake says that when people are approaching a big decision, they tend to focus immediately on how, which can lead to what she calls panic mode.
She gives the example of a person who is unhappy at work and thinking about changing jobs.
The person wonders how she is going to tell her manager I mean really playing through that whole conversation and how she might go about finding a new role within her company, or how to look for a job elsewhere while still in her current role, how to respond if various things go wrong, etc.
But Blake says that how is dangerous to ask too early in the process of pivoting.
First, you need to get clarity, she says, on what your vision is.
In other words, before you think about breaking the news that you're leaving to your manager or figuring out a schedule for structuring a job search while also doing your full-time job, you need to figure out what it is that you actually want.
Define what you want to do before you focus on the process of job change.
When the time comes, my guess is you'll figure out a way to tell your boss.
You don't need to figure out how to word the email requesting a meeting just yet.
But avoiding the tyranny of the how isn't just important for job pivots.
It's relevant for all sorts of other decisions too.
For instance, if you are deciding whether or not you and your family can go to your aunt and uncle's anniversary celebration, don't get distracted by how you'll explain your decision one way or the other, or how you'll tell your parents that you don't want to share an Airbnb with them, or where the rental car counter is at that particular airport, and what you'll say when your cousin Marty asks about your teen's nose ring.
First decide whether you have the time and money to go and whether it is an experience that you, your immediate family and your aunt and uncle would value.
Only after you have decided whether you want to go and could afford to do so do you need to get into the hows of communication and planning and how you will deal with everyone who is there.
Whatever big decision you are facing, first figure out what you want to do or feel is the right thing.
Only then do you need to get into how.
When we think about how too soon we may be focusing on the process but end up aiming for the wrong outcome.
Much better to make sure we are headed in the right direction first, and then figure out the route to get there.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at LauraVanderkam.com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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