---
title: "Career Coach: Back on Track"
id: "43504"
type: "post"
slug: "career-coach-back-on-track"
published_at: "2018-08-01T07:00:07+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-10-29T18:09:03+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/08/01/career-coach-back-on-track/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/08/01/career-coach-back-on-track.md"
excerpt: "Four steps for maintaining motivation."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Career Development"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "Business"
  - "careers"
  - "goal-setting"
  - "persona development"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Employee (Non-Manager)"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Early Career"
---

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 » Career Coach: Back on Track

If you aren’t living the life you want, how do you get back on track? How do you get clear on what you want? And how do you stay committed to it? Here are some steps to get started.

**1. Get clarity.** Before getting what we want, we must first know what we want. Take out a blank sheet of paper and write “My Dream Life” at the top. List everything you want to have, do, be, and share. From this list, generate goals to help set you back on course.

**2. Avoid “shiny-new-object syndrome.”** Having clarity makes it easier to distinguish opportunities that help move us forward from the ones that throw us off track. The next time a new opportunity arises, ask yourself, “How will this help me achieve my ultimate goal of [x]?” If it doesn’t, you probably want to pass on it.

**3. Redefine failure.** People who focus on the destination as opposed to the journey tend to be more critical of their failures. The next time you experience failure, reframe it. Consider that you have just learned how not to do something, and then acknowledge yourself for what you’ve learned.

**4. Give in to primal instincts.** Craving new challenges is hardwired into our DNA. So how do you happily succumb to this urge? With more clarity and structure. Create a list of things you haven’t done yet—but want to do.

As with anything worthwhile, there is no quick fix when it comes to designing and building the life you want. However, keeping yourself motivated can make you a happier, more energetic person and enable you to see your positive results.

(free-photos/Pixabay)

[Marshall Brown](https://associationsnow.com/author/marshall-brown/)

Marshall Brown is president of career coaching firm Marshall Brown and Associates.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/marshall-brown/)

Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/)
 [#careers](https://associationsnow.com/tag/careers/)
 [#goal-setting](https://associationsnow.com/tag/goal-setting/)
 [#persona development](https://associationsnow.com/tag/persona-development/)

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