The first part of your research has nothing to do with books, advisors, or Websites. It’s about you. Before you can begin to research, you will need to closely examine yourself. Narrowing and defining your goals provides clarity which will allow you to start researching your options. By asking a million and one questions, you’ll begin to get your new life into focus.
Are you looking for an experience to supplement the quality of your existing life or are you looking for an entirely new lifestyle? Do you want to renew past relationships or are you longing to meet new people who enhance the quality of your life? Would you like to get involved with a community or charity organization or participate in civic activities? We’ve all known wonderful people who’ve had great potential that somehow never gets realized, often because they fail to ask themselves the right questions. Don’t let yourself fall into that trap. You need to constantly examine what’s working in your life and what isn’t. You need to research and examine and it’s an ongoing exercise.7 Things to Know about Research
1) Research is a process. It helps transform the seed of an idea into a practical list of things to do.
2) Research starts internally before branching out to external sources
3) Research helps to narrow down your choices. The more information you ascertain about your options, the easier it will be to eliminate those that don’t feel right.
4) Research takes time. It requires patience and determination.
5) Research is unpredictable. Unexpected opportunities will present themselves at surprising moments.
6) Research is exciting. Gathering information regarding something you care about is one of the best ways we know to raise your spirits, increase your energy level, and boost your confidence.
7) Research is rewarding. Finding answers to relevant questions will give you courage, which in turn, will help you overcome fear.
For instance, if you’re wondering how you can bring more passion into your life, think hard about which activities you enjoy doing, then think about how you’d like to incorporate them into your life. Part-time hobby? Full-time career? If you’re considering a change in career, reflect on which parts of your job you enjoy most. Which parts do you dislike? Most importantly, how does your work – and your life as a whole – reflect your passions? Think about what you like and don’t like to do and ask yourself as many questions as it takes to determine as many ways as possible to narrow down your goals.
Ask yourself what you would do if you could do anything at all. Would you look for a new job or change careers? Would you work at home? Volunteer at a homeless shelter? Run in a marathon? Relocate to a different climate? Move closer to or farther away from your family? Doing research is about asking questions in order to find answers. To complete this first step of the process, you must gather as many answers as possible. More answers will come as you continue your research but in order to move on, you need to have a good grip on what part of your life you’d like to change. Don’t worry yet if it feels unrealistic and don’t be concerned about what other people might think. You have a desire to change and that’s all that counts.
If you crave a change in environment, ask yourself how drastic you think that change ought to be. Evaluate your current environment and consider how it impacts your daily life. Think about where you live, where you work, what you do, which elements of your environment make you happy and which you’d like to improve. Remember that a minor change can have a major impact on your life. Sometimes all you need to do to create a positive environment for yourself is to unclutter your space. For some of us, it’s hard to work effectively when we can’t find a way through our mess. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the very thought of cleaning up, start small: one drawer, one closet, or one room at a time, and then another; eventually you will get your space in order.
Now it’s time to determine your own personal goals by completing this exercise. Using the samples that follow to get you started, identify exactly what you’d like to accomplish. Make a clean, clear list on a piece of paper and describe each goal in a single sentence beginning with “I would like to…” Try to be as specific as possible by asking yourself as many questions as it takes to narrow your goals down as we’ve done in the examples below. Of course, these scenarios are only meant to get you started. It would be impossible for us to include every potential situation, so use this list as a springboard to create your own personalized version. Which of the following goals strike a chord with you? Can you think of others as well? Get your notebook and pen ready, and focus on what you want to do.I’d like to change my career path.
Would you like to change career paths entirely to do something you’re more passionate about?
Would you like to change jobs and stay in your current field?
Would you like to work at home?
Would you like to pursue a passion by starting your own business?
Would you like to work for your family’s business?
Would you like to go back to school?I’d like to spend more time focusing on a hobby or passion.
Would you like to use your hobby to increase your income?
Would you like to find other people who share the same passion?
Would you like to investigate career options pertaining to your passion?
Would you like to adjust your current schedule to allow more time for your hobby?I’d like to change or improve one or more of my family relationships.
Would you like to spend more time with your children?
Would you like to improve your relationship with your parents?
Would you like to spend more time with your spouse or significant other?
Would you like to improve your relationship with your in-laws?
Would you like to improve your relationship with one or more of your siblings?
Would you like to end a significant relationship in your life?I’d like to change or improve one or more of my working relationships
Would you like to improve your relationship with your boss?
Would you like to improve your relationship with your co-workers?
Would you like to improve your relationship with your customers?
Would you like to improve your relationship with your suppliers?
Would you like to improve your relationship with your employees?I’d like to change or improve one or more of my social relationships
Would you like to improve your relationship with one or more friends?
Would you like to change your circle of friends?
Would you like to improve your relationship with your neighbors?
Would you like to add new friends to your social life?I’d like to change my current living environment
Would you like to move to a new home in your current town/city?
Would you like to move to a new town/city?
Would you like to move to a different part of the country?
Would you like to move to another country?
Would you like to make some changes to your current home environment without moving?I’d like to change my current working environment
Would you like to change your physical surroundings at work?
Would you like to change the amount of pressure you feel at work?
Would you like to change the size of the company where you work?
Would you like to change how far you commute to work?
Would you like to change the pace at which you work?I’d like to change my financial situation
Would you like to pay off your debts?
Would you like to address issues associated with your spending habits?
Would you like to address issues associated with other family members’ spending habits?
Would you like to raise money to fund a project?
Would you like to earn additional money by working part-time?I’d like to improve my well-being
Would you like to lose weight?
Would you like to improve your overall physical condition?
Would you like to eat healthier food?
Would you like to improve the spiritual dimension of your life?I’d like to change my daily routine.
Would you like some time to work on a hobby?
Would you like to change your work schedule?
Would you like to change your sleep schedule?
Would you like to add new activities to your day?
Give yourself plenty of time to think of everything you’d like to do. Remember that these questions are just meant to get you started. You’ll come up with more questions to help you explore every part of your life. In this part of the research process, you should collect all of your goals, so don’t hold back. Make sure you list them all and then define them as best you can.
Take as much time as you need to create this list until you think it’s ready. Put it aside for a day or two, then review it and confirm that they feel right to you. Don’t worry yet about how you can achieve them, right now your only job is to create an honest, accurate list of what you would like to do. Remember to be as specific as possible. The more accurately you can define your vision, the easier it will be to move forward.
RememberDo
Ask yourself probing questions until you know what it is you want to do
Be as specific as you can with your answers
Acknowledge that change is a normal, natural part of lifeDon’t
Dismiss any options without careful consideration
Stay where you are just because you think it’s what you’re supposed to do
Waste your talent

Every time the economy expands or dips, executives who are tired, bored, displaced, or in search of above-market earnings come out of the barn in droves looking for “greener pastures”. They frequently assume that their experiences running a “real” company qualify them to provide insight and expertise as a consultant to other companies. Meanwhile, consultants looking for financial stability have thoughts of going corporate. Consultants are often confident of their abilities to lead organizations. Who could be better qualified than them to run a company from the inside? After all, they have been the guiding hand for many companies strategic, financial and technology direction. They have been trusted counsel for their top executives. Unfortunately, grazing in the other “greener” pasture is more complicated that it seems on the surface.What Life as a Consultant is LikeThe defining characteristics of the consulting environment are remarkably similar from firm to firm, regardless of whether it is a large global firm or a small local firm. First and foremost, at a senior level, success is based on the generation of sales revenue. Dollars equal power.As a consultant, engagements are driven by thought leadership and strategy. Your clients typically have a list of problems that need to be solved — and the list changes frequently. Corporate decision-makers assure that consultants have special access to people and resources. After all, they have already or will shortly write a very large check for their services.From a delivery perspective, work is often standardized and methodology-based. Engagements have a beginning, an end, and a defined scope. Often little or no responsibility for implementation or outcomes is specified. But, there are some exceptions. Certain contractual arrangements have shared responsibility for results and that is reflected in the fee. Secondly, the consultant handles implementation of a system or process. However, once it is “done,” the consultant still leaves and doesn’t have to live with the consequences. Supervision and personnel responsibility is usually limited to performance on the project by the team members.Should You Be a Consultant?* Are you energized by smart people doing interesting work?* Do you enjoy a continuously shifting landscape of new problems to solve?* Are you easily bored?* Do you like providing “advice and counsel” with little responsibility for operational activities or outcomes?* Is selling fun? Do you like the thrill of the chase?* Do you enjoy socializing and building a network of contacts?What Life as a Corporate Executive is LikeIn corporations, whether public or private, profitability and shareholder value are the bottom line. For most executives, success is based on contribution to operating results. Organizational leadership, from vision to planning through execution, drives performance. Decision-making and risk taking, with accountability for choices, is fundamental. Outcomes are everything. Activities are heavily implementation and results driven. Few projects are intellectually stimulating. Most of the work of the organization is continuous and predominantly operational. Much is policy and procedurally based. There is a broad distribution of people in a corporation, with a tendency to gather around the mean in intelligence, motivation and interest in their work. Comprehensive personnel management is required by line and most staff executives to maximize the contribution of all employees in the company.Should You Become a Corporate Executive?* Do you like being on the front lines, directing others, making choices?* Do you like to see things through to the end?* Do you gain personal satisfaction from positive, measurable results that you had a significant role in delivering?* Can you keep focus on the long-term while dealing with tactical and operational concerns?* Are you willing to stand behind your decisions and be accountable for and part of outcomes with continuing consequences?* As an insider, can you gain the respect of others for your business acumen?* Are you energized by motivating and leading groups of people to successful achievement of common goals?* Do others follow you and support you?How to Align Yourself with the Career Choice You Make If you are a consultant and still think you are a candidate for a change to a corporation, consider whether you are most suited for a consulting-like role or for an operating leadership position. Your business acumen, facilitation ability, and communication skills are key skills that will be valuable in a corporate role. If you are an executive and still want to try your hand at consulting, consider whether you are most suited for a partner (translate that sales) role or for delivery management (translate that project or multiple projects). Your experience of making things work in the real world and your ability to negotiate complex organizations will be helpful in a consulting role. Remember, both consulting and executive roles have challenges and rewards. Neither is as easy as it looks from the outside, looking in. As long as you find the one that works for you, you will be where the grass is greenest.