Are you aligned to the right work? Have you ever thought about how you align your time and the projects you’re taking on? The work and projects you say yes to now can affect the impact you have in the future.

Now, I know you’re probably thinking, “JJ, I have a job and they give me projects. I think that’s enough.” Well, it may be, but if you have aspirations to make a larger impact in the future, you often have to think about what you align your time to right now.

Early on in your career, you usually can’t be picky about the work you’re assigned because you’re working to build a track record of results, which often drives your future career. But as you move along into your thirties, forties, and fifties, you can often be a little bit more specific about the opportunities and work you align to. Because, if you’re a person who delivers great results, you’re probably asked to take on many, many projects.

In this episode of Career Strategies for Women That Work, I want to dive into the projects you’re saying yes to and whether they align with where you want to have an impact next. In my experience, I’ve found that you have to be strategic about where you spend your time—and that often comes down to the projects you take on.

I’m going to walk you through a chart I created, the Project Alignment Chart, to help you better understand how the projects that you’re giving your focus and energy to are preparing you for where you want to have impact next. You’re going to learn:

• How to set up and use the Project Alignment Chart
• Eight questions to ask yourself before taking on a new project
• Why and how different projects can affect your future career growth and goals

Analyzing your projects can be a critical tool to help you identify if you’re in the right place and doing the right work. And I love me a great Excel chart—hopefully, this one, and this episode, is as valuable and exciting to you as they are to me!

Let me know how you’re using the chart! Connect with me on Instagram – @JJDigeronimo, and share any changes you’ve made to it, additional rows you’ve included, and how it’s helped you discover patterns in your projects! 

Articles + Resources

• Episode 2: Aligning Your Yeses, Work, and Energy for Your Next Level of Impact (includes worksheet!)
• Download: The Project Alignment Chart
• Women in the Workplace: A Research Roundup, from the Harvard Business Review
• Accelerate Your Impact: Action-Based Strategies to Pave Your Professional Path