What Does Winter Solstice Mean For Your Career Plans?

This year the Winter Solstice occurs on Thursday, December 22. This day is the shortest day and longest dark/night of the year. It is also thought of as a time of rebirth or reversals.


So what does that mean in terms of your career plans? My last post encouraged readers not to put their job search on hold during the holidays. But this post includes folks who are not in the midst of a search as well as those expecting to start a job search in the near future. Perhaps you are one of those people, similarl to many I have seen in my practice, who are not at all happy with their work and/or their employer, but have no idea what they would do differently or where. These folks are beyond being undecided they are saying essentially that they are clueless.


For those folks, you might use this coming time of rebirth to think about what you would rather be doing - and that may be work or it could be volunteer activities or other community involvement that would bring satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment to you. Some people start by writing down things they are currently doing, or have done in the past, that they were good at and enjoyed. That's a good place to start. I also encourage you to make a list of things you have actually done that either you were no good at or you really didn't like doing. In that way, you are less likely to have very much of that latter group of things in something you undertake now, if you keep those items somewhere in your head or on a notepad.


If you already have career plans, this could be a good time for a check up - see if you are still on tract - or to dust off those plans and remember what you said you would do for your career. As life gets busier, and right now our days really are a bit shorter, it is fairly easy to get off track or to stray from good intentions. Take this opportunity, before the end of another year, to decide or to recall what you will do for you and your career.



Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for adults in transition; including a career or job change, planning to return to work or to school, coping with a job loss, preparing for retirement, and other life changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them in identifying solutions to life planning issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.