Maybe you don’t need the answer yet.
Today, New York Times Cooking sent me to Ali Slagle’s recipe for coconut chicken curry with tomatoes and corn. In introducing the recipe, Mia Leimkuhler called it the perfect “I see you, fall, but let’s take it easy” recipe.
That made me smile.
Maybe because it feels a little like what I’ve been thinking about careers this September.
Last month, I wrote about making space for what’s possible. Not filling the space. Not immediately deciding what comes next. Just making some room for an idea.
So, now that we’ve made a little space, maybe we can get curious.
where am I going?
That can feel like a very big question.
It sounds like we should have an answer. A new job. A promotion. A five-year plan. A career change. A destination.
What if we don’t?
What if “Where am I going?” starts with simply noticing what gets our attention?
Maybe there’s a project at work you really enjoyed.
A position you keep clicking on even though you’re not “looking.”
Someone has a job that makes you think, I wonder what they actually do all day?
There’s a skill you’d like to learn. A conversation you’ve been thinking about having with your manager. A leadership opportunity that intrigues you.
Maybe there’s an idea that keeps showing up, and you’re not sure yet what to do with it.
You don’t have to do anything with it.
You can just notice.
curiosity can become action
Sometimes, though, curiosity does begin to turn into action.
I’m seeing that with clients right now.
Some are beginning to take the first steps toward a job search. Some are revisiting resumes they haven’t looked at in years. Some are learning how to use AI to strengthen and revise their resumes while making sure the words still sound like them. Others are practicing interviews before there’s even an interview on the calendar.
Someone else might be thinking about a promotion. Having a conversation with a leader. Exploring a certification. Researching an organization. Or figuring out how to make their current work more of what they want it to be.
that doesn’t mean any of them are ahead of you.
They’re simply examples of the different ways each of us can get curious about and explore our careers.
your exploration gets to look like yours.
You can read job descriptions without starting a job search.
You can update your resume without deciding to leave.
You can learn about AI without becoming an AI expert.
You can practice interviewing before you have an interview.
You can talk with someone about their career without wanting their job.
You can imagine leaving your organization and ultimately decide to stay.
You can want more of something without knowing yet exactly what “more” means.
Exploration isn’t a commitment.
It’s information.
And sometimes what we learn isn’t where we want to go next. Sometimes we discover something we want to bring into the work and life we already have.
sometimes we hear ourselves think
One of my favorite parts of coaching is the a-ha moment.
I can sometimes see it happening as someone is talking. They say something, stop for a second, and realize they just heard themselves say something they hadn’t quite put together before.
I didn’t give them the answer.
They heard their own answer differently.
We don’t always figure out where we’re going by thinking harder about where we’re going. Sometimes we need to talk. Ask questions. Research. Experiment. Listen. Laugh. Try something. Change our minds. And sometimes we just need to notice what keeps getting our attention.
what keeps getting our attention.
So, in the spirit of “I see you, fall, but let’s take it easy,” I have a small September suggestion for you to consider.
Give yourself five minutes and ask:
What has been getting my attention lately?
Don’t make yourself decide what it means.
And if you’re curious, ask one more:
What’s one small thing I could do to learn a little more?
You don’t need a destination to begin exploring.
Sometimes you just need the next thing that helps you see a little farther.