Taking Stock and Moving Forward in 2006

A personal inventory is a great place to start in accessing skills and abilities

The alarm’s chatter rips you from your world of dreams and comfort. Rolling over, you hit snooze and lie there, bringing your day into focus. Does the thought of your work day spur you to burst forth from your bed, anxious to begin your day? Or, does the consideration of the next 10 to 12 hours give you a knot in your stomach and drive you deeper beneath the covers?

Regardless of which scenario describes your current situation, the start of a new year is an excellent time to take stock of where you are at in your job, your career, and your life. Like a trusted signpost on life’s journey, the rollover of the calendar offers each one of us an opportunity to see where we are and make adjustments as to where we are going.

A simple inventory

When was the last time that you honestly evaluated your skills and abilities? Is the job, or position that you currently occupy making use of the talents that you possess? Because it’s so simple and requires nothing more than a piece of paper and a pen or pencil, taking a skills inventory is often overlooked.

There are certainly a battery of tests and evaluations that will cost you money and take much more time, but starting with your trusty paper and writing utensil will give you a great starting point for any future personal improvement that you are willing to tackle.

Take your paper and divide it into two columns, labeled “skills and abilities