How Vision Mapping Could Be Your Secret Weapon In Redefining Your Career

It can be perplexing when you’re at a career crossroads, but vision mapping can be your best secret weapon. Research has found that almost 50% of professionals in the U.S. ages 35 to 44 are “career sleepwalkers,” lacking the motivation or vision for a clear career plan. Either you’re just starting out and you’re wondering what specific path to take in your industry after earning your degree or you’re looking to reinvent or pivot. 

Here’s where vision mapping can come in handy, providing a clearer perspective for where you really want to be professionally. Company leaders have been using vision mapping to help teams and their leaders foster engagement and retention, as well as set the actual plan for a project, initiative, or business goal.

Vision mapping is a dynamic process to find clarity and be more strategic in your career moves. It combines introspection with strategic visualization by using representations, such as mind maps, timelines, or vision boards, to help you align your personal values, experiences, and aspirations with their professional goals. It can also enhance your decision-making when you’re up for promotions or looking to move to a new company. It goes beyond just a vision board and into an actual directive for each phase of seeing a grander vision come to life, hence the word “map.”

The methods for this can vary, from creating a physical or digital vision board with photos and words, to actual spreadsheets, journals and workbooks. 

But where do you start? Let’s take the average approach of corporate leaders and clarify a few steps to embark on your vision-mapping journey.

What’s your “why” when it comes to your professional goals or desires? Who do you want to serve in the work you do? How will the work you do contribute to the lifestyle you want for yourself and your family? What purpose do you hope to pursue through the work that you do? What examples have you admired in your desired industry or vocation?

If you find yourself a bit confused or overwhelmed with this, seek the help of a coach, mentor, or trusted friends or family members to help you process through your why.

Assessments are also part of building a career vision for your map. Coaches often look to assessments like StrengthsFinder or Occupational Informational Network (O*Net) resources. I’ve used these in my master’s studies in coaching, and they help clarify what you’re great at, any knowledge or passion gaps that might be present, and possible career options for pivots or changes.

You might even need to be more exploratory in this step, trying out different activities, jobs, or tasks, or networking outside of your normal circles via conferences, events, and meetups.

According to the International Coaching Federation, this method focuses on aligning goals with your motivation, values, and long-term identity. Their experts recommend self-exploration through questions like, “What do I want or need more of less of?” or “What do I gain from this c career goal or activity?” 

Explore how achieving a certain goal related to your career will impact your life, who else will be impacted by the change, and whether the goal will “reinforce or challenge other aspects of your well-being.” 

Once you’ve assessed your skills, passions, and goals, write down a clear vision in the form of a mission statement, even if it might change or shift a bit throughout the visioning process. Career services professional Jennifer Herrity recommends starting with what’s most important to you, talking to peers to get clarity on your strengths, and identifying the legacy you want to leave. Be brutally honest with yourself, even if your career mission seems a bit far-fetched. (Here are a few templates to help you with that, via Indeed.)

When you’re able to picture what your life will look like when your career goal is accomplished, you’ll need to create a vision board or map for taking specific steps toward the goal. You can go the old-school paper collage route (using words and photos from magazines or Pinterest pins), go digital with Pinterest pins or a Canva template, set up a calendar with reminders for micro and macro goals that are mapped out with deadlines, or use a spreadsheet. Each point, image, board, or portion of the map should lead to another larger goal, building off of the one before it.

Commit to specific actions that are small steps that lead to the larger end goal for the first phase of your map. For example, if you see yourself being the director of a nonprofit, your first board could be all about job research. Add companies, industries, or service audiences, set times and days to research, and update the board, map, or spreadsheet your findings. Then, the next step would be to use that information to attend a nonprofit event to network. Who are the key panelists or attendees who might be there to help you build off of the research you’ve done? What organizations serve the audience you want to? Then from there, you’ll want to be sure you on the right career track in terms of jobs you apply for, new certifications or degrees you might need to invest in, or even volunteer opportunities to gain experience.

Always set deadlines and ways of keeping accountability for each step on your map. If you need support, join a Facebook group, a professional women’s organization, or tap into those you are already a member of (i.e. alumni, religious, or sorority networks). Also budget for the expenses of the career mapping journey so that there are no surprises that could distract you from meeting your career goals.

Vision mapping is a structured way to get out of your head and into taking action. By starting with these steps, you can transition into a career that’s fulfilling for the life you dream of.