Planned Happenstance

About Planned Happenstance: 

There is a belief entrenched in American culture that career planning is a logical and linear activity.............But it's not. 

We are expected to choose a career from among thousands of possibilities, often before having a chance to explore one option. Even experts cannot always anticipate the economic, social, and political events that will impact employment. How can anyone be expected to prepare for a career in a world that is constantly emerging?

We do not always need to plan to create a career. Instead, we need a plan to act on happenstance---to transform unplanned events into career opportunity. 

If you've ever had difficulty with choosing or changing a career, or moving your business forward, it might mean you are trying o rely too much on figuring it all out instead of preparing for happenstance. 

Planned happenstance is both attitude that you gain and actions you take. It is the view that you can create opportunities by taking action on your curiosity and on chance events. 

Planned happenstance is not just luck or being in the right place at the right time. It is conscious, purposeful, and ongoing process that will help you to build a more satisfying and fulfilling career.

Planned Happenstance® is a four-step process:

1. Clarify Ideas: Follow your curiosity and identify your interests.

2. Remove the Blocks: Wonder "how I can" rather than "I can't because..."

3. Expect the unexpected: Be prepared for chance opportunities, such as unexpected phone calls, chance encounters, impromptu conversations and new experiences.

4. Take Action: Learn, develop skills, remain open and follow-up on chance events

                                           PLANNED: having arranged the parts                                  HAPPEN: to occur by chance                                  STANCE: a view or attitude