I read a great article in Newsweek recently about how information overload is paralyzing our ability to make good decisions. It reminded me of a great piece of advice I am always telling my clients about defining their career path.


I wanted to share it with you because it's a critical step in identifying your ideal career and finding life balance. Finding your career direction is a process that takes time and effort and a lot of self-reflection. I believe that if you can find a job that is reflection of who you are as a person, that job will be rewarding, fulfilling and a good fit for you...right? People who find their dream job have more life balance and are much happier.


So it's important to know yourself very well in order to find the right fit. The mistake many people make is they believe that if they think about this hard enough that they'll figure it out....that a light bulb will suddenly go on. They're always asking me, "When will I have that a-ha moment?"


The answer is, we don't know. And for some people it isn't a moment, it's discovered over time as the pieces fit together in their head. My client Jenny had an a-ha moment sitting on her couch reading a magazine, others like Karin made a connection through talking with someone else about their ideas.


One of the most important things to keep in mind however, is not to overload your brain with too much information as they discuss in the Newsweek article: "creative decisions are more likely to bubble up from a brain that applies unconscious thought to a problem rather than going at it in a full-frontal, analytical assault." This applies your career path!


Take regular breaks and down time from your job search. Give yourself the space to think creatively, out of the box, and allow your subconscious mind to make connections that if you're watching TV or playing with your crackberry all the time it won't have the freedom to do. So turn off your smart phone. Let your ideas simmer. Focus on something else and let your mind develop connections between things they wouldn't have otherwise if you didn't take the down time.