3 Ways to Be Sure You’re Headed toward Your Goal

When I started Faithlife Corporation (formerly Logos Bible Software) at 19 years old, I was aligning my mission and values with my future goals. Prior to Faithlife, I worked for Microsoft. After about two years there, I knew it was time to make a change.

No matter where you are—in ministry, seminary, college, or working a nine-to-five job—it’s always smart to sit down and evaluate your goals. Are you headed in the right direction?

In my new book, Start Next Now, I liken joining an organization to getting on a bus. Here are three simple ways to be sure you’re on the right bus and headed toward your goal.

Choose the right bus

To find the right job, your first and best tool is research. Whether you are looking for a new career or a job change, research your field and identify the companies that can best advance you along the path to your goal. Research people who do the job you’re interested in doing.

Once you’ve landed an interview, you need to do even more research. Ideally, you should go into each interview knowing who you’re going to meet, why they are trying to fill the position, and what their biggest challenge is right now.

If thorough research is part of your process from the start, you won’t need to prepare for dozens of interviews: a well-targeted approach to a best-fit job opportunity should land you a position quickly.

Get off the wrong bus

If you are already employed, you should constantly be evaluating your experience and making sure it is still a good use of your time. You only have so much time in your life, and you will spend a large part of it at work.

Are you investing that time at a place that will advance you toward your goals? If the answer is no, start looking for your next bus now.

Jobs aren’t the only buses

Sometimes a job isn’t the best path toward the life you want. Volunteering for a nonprofit, creating a product, or joining a club might be the key to the education, connections, and opportunities you need to advance.

Keep an eye out for buses going your direction, whether they look like jobs or not.

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When you purchase Bob’s new book at StartNextNow.com, you’ll get it in all of its digital formats—digital/interactive, Vyrso, audio, and ePub—and we’ll send you a print copy too! Learn more at StartNextNow.com.