Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash.com

The Christmas break and holidays are over. Perhaps in that time you had an opportunity to reflect on your work, your aspirations and your life in general. Perhaps you came to the conclusion that it’s time for a change? Well – how do you do that?

Exit strategy
To make a change means leaving your current circumstances. That requires leaving in a way that creates no ill-will and plays to strengthen your position. That means leaving on a high note – whether that be leaving a job or leaving a career – it is important to leave well.

Have a plan

• At the start of your career – do you know where you want to go? If not, start researching and working that out. You want to live your life – work life and personal life – without regrets. It takes some reflection to work out what you want. It is important to put in the time to do this. It may require the help of someone to facilitate your thinking too – a friend, a colleague or a family member.
• Mid-career phase – where do you want your next job? Where do you want your next promotion? What are you looking for? What are your working requirements? How do you make a move from where you are to the next position? Think about your options. What is happening in the market place? Where are the opportunities?
• In a late career phase, the questions change somewhat. Is what you are currently doing, what you want to do for the rest of your work life? Is that going to satisfy you in terms of work-life balance? Will it be adequately fulfilling? These are some of the considerations that need thought.

Planning is a positive approach
Planning is a positive, proactive approach to your future. Developing an exit strategy gives you a purpose and a plan to work to. It gives you a purpose and goal to work towards.

Do you have an exit strategy?

Reference: Marshall Goldsmith: Make sure you live on a high note. Blog post