Do you want to make a career change? Do you have several ideas floating around your head? Thinking about totally changing course? Or just looking for something that makes you happy? It can sometimes be tough to get clarity and implement a career plan. In this series, we’ll walk through five steps, loosely inspired from project management techniques, that can bring order to the disorder in your thoughts! Step one… brainstorm. Here’s how.

Freely explore your desires

Brainstorming is a great way to expose all possibilities. Often times, brainstorming is a group activity whereby all ideas and suggestions are welcome. All judgment and analysis is suspended so that creatively can be maximized!

Here, you’ll have to go it alone, at least at first. You can always asked your friends and family for advice, but you’re the only one that knows what’s good for you!

Even on your own, the technique remains the same. Set aside some time to explore all professional possibilities. Don’t hold back! Concentrate on your desires and ideas that spontaneously come to you.

Later, you’ll have to look seriously at your options. But for now, focus on unearthing as many potential career moves as possible. Have fun with it. Go wild. Put reality on hold for a moment.

Unearth new ideas

Spending two hours imagining unlikely career moves may seem ridiculous or unrealistic. In essence though, brainstorming is a really organized activity that will get you to:

• find out what truly motivates you;
• finally write down all those ideas that pop up when you’re showering, walking or daydreaming; and
• give yourself some dedicated time to freely explore your ideas so that you can take action where it makes sense.

While brainstorming, just list as many career ideas that come to mind. Avoid any sort of judgment or second-guessing. Don’t even try to categorize your ideas. Just explore!

A few sheets of paper and your imagination

To brainstorm, all you need is:

• two hours of uninterrupted time;
• paper and post-it notes (each idea will get its own sheet of paper); and
• access to Internet in case you want to check something, but make sure you don’t start clicking endlessly! (optional)

On each piece of paper write down one potential job. Potential jobs can range from super precise to totally vague. For example:

• Precise: Community Manager at DoYouBuzz, Journalist at the New York Times, Product Manager at Google.
• General: Community Manager for a consumer brand, Journalist for an online publication, Product Manager in a technology company
• Vague: Community Manager, Journalist, Product Manager

Or it could be more drastic, such as start my own jewelry company or start a new brewery.

By keeping each piece of paper for one job, it’ll be easier to organize and analyze later. Also, once you have listed all your ideas, you can start jotting down notes, leads and action items. (After you’ve finished the brainstorming phase of course!)

So sit down (or stand up, if you prefer) and let your creative juices flow. Don’t be surprised if ideas don’t start bubbling forth immediately. Just write down every idea that comes to mind and be open.

In Step Two, we’ll take a closer look at your experiences and skills to create your professional portrait. For now, let the brainstorming roll!