Make Career Transformation a Core Value

This is the time of the year when I try to achieve peak physical fitness in advance of any dietary excesses I may engage in due to upcoming year-end festivities!

‘Working your core’ in a physical fitness sense is defined as: “The balanced development of the deep and superficial muscles that stabilize, align, and move the trunk of the body, especially the abdominals and muscles of the back.”

As I was working out on Thanksgiving morning (yes – I exercised vigorously knowing I would overeat later), I focused on working my core. While doing the 30th crunch – I had an epiphany:

If individuals established career transformation as a core value they would be able to develop the muscles to anticipate and get in front of career disasters such as: career derailment, career obsolescence, and career transition.

This epiphany then led me to question – “Why don’t we intentionally hold our career as one of the top three or four core values we use to construct a life mission?”

Why don’t we establish a consistent set of core values upon which to set the direction and trajectory for our careers? Why don’t we plan; assess progress; identify strengths; work out an approach to minimize weaknesses; establish a foundation and identify expected milestones; ask trusted advisors for advice; build our competencies and credentials; take risks, etc.?

If we did create a life mission that included career transformation as a core value, we would be closer to the essence of what makes ‘work’ fun, engaging, meaningful, redemptive, significant and ultimately satisfying.

Resources to help you make career transformation a core value:

* The Franklin Covey Company offers a process for you to put your life mission into words and action.

* Who Needs a One Page Career Plan? You Do!

* The Ultimate Guide to Living Consciously: 21 Outstanding Mission Statements For Your Life

* Be an Original: my five personal core values and how I use them

* Tony Hsieh‘s Mountains and Valleys: Discover Your Core Values


Decide today to make career transformation a core value. This could add rich texture to your life mission.

A question for you to consider:

* Do you need to make career transformation a core value? If your answer is yes, please contact me at: cglasco@charter.net

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