Page 67 - Marky Stein - Fearless Career Change_ The Fast Track to Success in a New Field (2004)

Testing the Waters

Is your workload heavy, moderate, or light? How many hours
do you work in your day? Do you have routine hours and deadlines
or flexible time to work at your own pace?
Is it a standard 9-to-5 day, or do you work fewer, different, or
more hours? Do you see yourself working at night and/or on call
or on the weekends?

What do you most enjoy about this scene? What
do you think or feel about yourself as you imag-
ine yourself in this day?

Write a realistic day in your ideal career in as much detail as
possible, noticing the feelings and thoughts inside you as well as
imagining the environment around you.
Continue in this manner until your workday is over and you
return home. What time do you get home, or what time do you
stop working? Are you working overtime? How is the commute
home? What do you do in the evenings after work and with whom?
How much money do you make in this career? Do you have a
comfortable or exorbitant amount of money to spend and invest,
or do you have to stay on a more limited budget?
Do you have time for leisure activities? Do you have the energy
to run errands or spend some time beautifying your garden? Is
there time for a lunch out with a friend, some golf at the driving
range, or a game of tennis or racquetball? How about time to go to
the gym during lunch or after work? Can you get together with
friends at the end of a long day for dinner or drinks? Do you have
time to take care of your body and your social and spiritual life? Do
you bring work home with you?
With this particular career as part of your day, how do you end
your day? Do you share intimacy with someone you love? Do you
need to get your children to bed? Do you fall to sleep reading,
watching TV, or doing a crossword puzzle? Do you write in a jour-
nal or diary?
Maybe you make a list of your goals for the next day or read a
good book and end your evening with prayer, contemplation, or
meditation. At the end of the evening, do you feel “full” or “empty”?

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