The Career Reset Guide (30–90 Day Plan)
Clarity before speed. This plan gets you from “overwhelmed” to a week-by-week system you can run alongside your job—without burning out or guessing.
What to do next
- Stabilize your week: sleep, boundaries, workload (2 quick changes).
- List constraints (time, money, health) and assets (skills, allies, artifacts).
- Define 3–5 direction criteria from patterns (use the Self-Assessment).
- Pick 2 low-risk tests (2–4 weeks). Ship artifacts, not “learning hours”.
- Review your Reset Scorecard every Friday for 15 minutes.
💡 Try this next week: Replace 1 meeting with an async memo; spend that time building a tiny artifact.
Different problems need different prescriptions—diagnose, then test.
A complete framework to reset your career in 30–90 days—vision, constraints, experiments, scorecards, and negotiation scripts.
1) Stabilize & Diagnose
Stabilize this week
- Move 1 recurring meeting to async (memo + comments).
- Protect 2 × 45-min “build” blocks in work hours.
- Set a boundary pact: no new projects without a written brief.
Quick diagnosis
- Constraints: time, money, health, caregiving.
- Assets: skills, advocates, portfolio artifacts, credibility.
- Signals: Burnout vs Boredom—which problem is it?
Need deeper clarity? Run the Self-Assessment for drivers and anti-goals.
2) Direction Criteria (your “filters”)
Translate your diagnosis into 3–5 filters that make choices obvious. Score options 1–5 against each filter.
Examples (seek more)
- Own a scoped problem with measurable outcome.
- Mix of analysis→brief→decision with clear stakeholders.
- 2–3 build blocks/week without emergency context switching.
Anti-goals (avoid)
- “Consensus by default” (no owner, no metric).
- Value only visible at the end of long cycles.
- Unbounded scope; success depends on heroics.
3) Micro-Experiments (2–4 weeks)
Don’t jump—test. Design two small, reversible bets that create evidence fast.
Experiment menu
- Internal pilot: propose a tiny improvement with a success metric.
- Problem teardown: publish a 1-pager; invite feedback from 2 operators.
- Shadow & interview: 2× 30-min calls; ship a learning memo.
- Freelance/volunteer: deliver one outcome with a before→after metric.
Define success (before you start)
- Energy +10–20% after sessions.
- Evidence: shipped artifact, feedback, or numbers.
- Desire to repeat next week—without prompting.
Turn wins into resume bullets; validate with the ATS Resume Scanner and AI vs Human review.
4) Your 30–60–90 Plan
Days 1–30: Stabilize & Discover
- Baseline constraints + assets.
- Draft direction criteria; select 2 experiments.
- Ship first artifact and request feedback.
Days 31–60: Build Evidence
- Ship 2–3 artifacts; collect metrics/testimonials.
- Update 6–8 bullets; scan with Resume Scanner.
- Refresh LinkedIn: role | value | proof.
Days 61–90: Decide & Commit
- If ≥2 tests are high-energy/high-proof → prioritize a pivot.
- Else redesign current role (scope shift, rotation, manager pact).
- Set quarterly reset goals; keep the scorecard cadence.
5) Reset Scorecard (Friday 15-minute review)
- Experiments: # sessions completed vs planned.
- Evidence velocity: # artifacts shipped in 30 days.
- Advocates: # warm intros / follow-ups created by artifacts.
- Energy: % of blocks tagged (+) this week.
If numbers stall, revisit Why Online Career Advice is Broken and switch to pattern-based guidance.
6) Scripts & Pacts
Negotiation (scope ↔ compensation)
“I’ll deliver X by Y. If we hit Z, we formalize the scope and adjust comp/title. Success is measured by {metric}. We’ll review in 30 days.”
Manager pact (role redesign)
“Here’s where I create the most value: {strengths}. Can we swap {low-value task} for a 30-day pilot on {specific outcome}? If it works, we make it permanent; if not, I’ll revert.”
Networking DM (evidence-first)
“I’m running a 2-week test on {space}. Loved your post on {specific}. Could I ask 2 questions about {topic}? Happy to share findings.”