In this episode, I bring together the ideas from the last two episodes and turn towards the future.
Over Episodes 139 and 140, I explored a very particular moment in a career journey. The point where you start to see things more clearly, but the way forward is not yet obvious.
In Episode 139, I talked about invisible career scripts. The stories we inherit from family, education, and the cultures we work in. Stories about what success should look like, what feels sensible, and what feels risky. I explored how simply noticing these scripts can create space to think differently about your career.
In Episode 140, I focused on confidence. Confidence built from evidence. From paying attention to what gives you energy, what you do well, and the impact you already have. I also shared practical ways to strengthen confidence as you begin to contemplate what might be next.
Once you start questioning the stories you’ve been living inside, and you begin rebuilding confidence from what you already know about yourself, a natural question appears.
What now?
This episode is about that question.
Many people tell me they feel they should know what they’re doing next, that everyone else seems to have a plan, or that they’re falling behind. This often comes with a sense of pressure, as if not having a clear long-term plan is a personal failing.
I want to be clear. Not knowing exactly where you’re going does not mean you lack ambition or commitment, or that there’s something missing in you.
Career paths used to be more stable. Today, roles change quickly, organisations restructure, industries shift, technology evolves, and we change too. In that context, trying to map out your career in detail can actually stop you moving at all.
So instead of prediction, I offer something different. Direction.
In this episode, I introduce a framework I’ve developed and use regularly in my coaching work called the Three Horizons. It offers a way to think about the future that allows for uncertainty without drifting into vagueness or delay.
Roughly the next one to three years.
This is the most practical and reassuring horizon. It acts as an anchor when the longer-term picture still feels open. Even in transition, people often have a clear sense of what they want more of and less of.
More learning.
More autonomy.
More meaningful contribution.
A useful question here is:
When I think about the near future, what would feel attractive and represent meaningful progress over the next year or two?
For some, this horizon is about consolidation. For others, it’s about experimentation. Either way, this is where movement begins.
Perhaps three to seven years.
This is where the pressure to choose one right path often appears. Horizon Two is not about deciding. It’s about holding multiple possibilities lightly and noticing what keeps reappearing.
Rather than focusing on job titles, this horizon invites you to look for themes. The nature of the work. The problems you want to solve. The people you want to work with. The pace you want to work at.
Horizon Two invites curiosity rather than commitment.
This horizon is about direction, identity, and eventually contribution.
It’s less about specifics and more about who you are becoming through your work. Questions here include:
When does my work feel most like me?
What qualities or ways of working do I want to be known for?
What kind of professional identity feels right at this stage of my life?
Over time, what contribution do I want that identity to make?
Think of Horizon Three as a compass rather than a destination. Even a developing sense of direction can be enough.
Taken together, the Three Horizons help you think about the future with clarity where it’s possible, and openness where it isn’t.
Horizon Three offers direction and identity.
Horizon Two highlights patterns and possibilities.
Horizon One is where change actually begins.
A simple way to close is this:
Hold your long-term direction lightly. Let it inform what you do next. Then ask yourself one grounded question:
What is one small, meaningful step I could take over the next few months that moves me in the right direction?
Small steps taken with clarity often have more impact than big plans made under pressure. That’s often enough to get things moving again.
If you’d like to explore these ideas in more depth, my book Write Your Career is built around this kind of reflective work. It’s a practical way of thinking things through on the page, especially when there’s uncertainty in your career.
You can download the first chapter for free and find out more here:
https://www.bravocoaching.co.uk/books
This episode completes a three-part mini-series. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time.