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At this point you know what the difficulties are in the industry and your personal situation. You know your strengths and your support resources. You know your weaknesses and you know your obstacles. Now is the time to take what you’ve learned and develop a plan.

Begin with the obstacles. For each obstacle, write out what you’re going to do to overcome that obstacle. Then go back to the goals section and write out the plan for how this is going to happen, breaking the work into tiny do-able pieces. Calendar this plan with the rest of your goals. Add in the dates that you’re going to re-do your Career Plan. This should not be less than once a year. You should look at your Career Plan at least once a month to see how you’re doing. If you have major changes in the way you think and what you’re doing during the year, update your Career Plan accordingly. Your thinking and your plan should stay consistent.

At the end of the year, I like to go through my plan and check off what I’ve accomplished. There’s a wonderful feeling of confidence that comes from doing this, the sense that I have the power to direct my career. I have never accomplished every goal on my list and I don’t expect that will ever happen. I consider accomplishing over half to be a success, though I’m not hard on myself if I do less. What is important is that I’m not passive, that I have direction and I’m taking action. I cannot and should not expect more of myself. You shouldn’t either. Be gentle on yourself.

Next: Career Financial Plan

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