Lately, I’ve been coaching people who feel stuck.
Whether it’s with a job search or within their current position, something is not working. They know something is missing, but they are not always sure what.
When I ask what they want their life to look like in five, ten, or fifteen years, something begins to emerge.
They describe a life that is fuller, more specific, more alive. It includes the kind of work they want to be known for, the relationships they want to have, the days they want to live, the person they want to become, the legacy they want to leave behind.
And then there is a pause.
Because somewhere in the conversation, they realize what they’re searching for starts to shift.
“I don’t know what I want” can sound like a lack of clarity, but it is often the start of a more honest kind of clarity.
It is the moment someone starts to notice the distance between where they are and where they want to be.
Throughout our lives we don’t often focus on the kind of people we aspire to be or the kind of life we wish to lead.
Who do I want to be?
What kind of life am I trying to build?
What do I want my days to feel like?
What do I care about when no one is asking or looking?
The answers to these questions begin to form a personal vision.
A personal vision is not a goal. It’s not a strategy. It’s not an obligation. It does not predict what is going to happen.
It is a picture of who we are becoming and what we want our life and work to be in service of.
So sometimes, when we feel stuck, the work is not to rush toward what’s next.
Sometimes, what we need first is a picture of the life, work, and self we are trying to move toward.
My version of this has become simple enough to carry with me: I help people feel good about work.
It’s not perfect. It’s not complete. It does not answer every question. It does not tell me what to build, what to say yes to, or what comes next. But it gives me a sense of direction.
That is what a personal vision can do.
It’s a reminder of what matters.
A picture of who we are trying to become.
A direction that feels like our own.
Elizabeth Alvarado is a career and wellness coach who writes about the inner work of work. You can reach her at alvaradocoaching.com.