Why we should stop setting goals (and what we could be doing instead).
As we strive to push the boundaries of creative innovation through the various mediums of art, design, and technology, it's essential to focus not only on the end product but also on the creative professionals making them. I’m talking to you, creatives: how are you coping with the ever-increasing demands and challenges of your profession? How are you managing your disengagement and burnout? How are you developing a sustainable career that supports your livelihood while also being grounded in meaning and purpose?
If you’re reading this right now, it’s possible that you feel stuck and unfulfilled in your career, wondering what to do next. Do you have a yearning—a pull—to pursue something greater, more creative, and more energizing? You may have tried various things in the past to address this feeling, but nothing has worked. You've read books, watched videos, and talked to friends and family, but you still feel stagnant.
The truth is, the traditional approach to making a career change doesn't always work. Setting arbitrary goals that seem like the "right" thing to do can feel like throwing spaghetti against the wall, leaving you overwhelmed and unsure of your next steps.
But there is a better way: the career lab approach. It's a design-thinking-aligned, inquiry-based approach to career development that prioritizes building awareness, understanding, and learning before generating creative solutions. Rather than setting goals, career lab coaching encourages you to focus on your challenge, building a habit of creating "small experiments with radical intent" as part of an iterative process that allows for thoughtful prototyping and testing of ideal career scenarios.
By taking a step back and focusing on your challenge first, you can gain clarity and direction, explore your options and experiment with new ideas, all while building skills and knowledge that will support your career development. Most importantly, you can find a path unique to you that is grounded in meaning and purpose.
Don't let fear, doubt, and stagnation hold you back. Embrace the career lab approach and discover a new way forward. It's time to make a change for something greater.