Estimated Runtime: ~10 minutes
Tone: Direct, personal, challenging — like a coach who cares enough to push
you
Here's the biggest mistake I see people make when they start looking for a new
job.
They open up a job board. They start scrolling. They see a title that looks
interesting, they read the description, and they think, "Yeah, I could do that."
So they apply. And then they do it again. And again.
Before they know it, they've applied to fifteen jobs in three different
industries at four different seniority levels — and they have absolutely no idea
what they're actually looking for. Sound familiar?
Here's the problem with that approach: you're letting the market tell you what
you should want. You're outsourcing the most important decision of your search —
what kind of life you're building — to a bunch of job postings written by
someone in HR who's trying to fill a seat.
Today, we're going to fix that. We're going to work backwards. We're going to
start with your life, and then design your search around it. Not the other way
around.
I want you to think about this. You're about to spend — conservatively — forty
to fifty hours a week at your next job. That's more time than you spend with
your family, your friends, your hobbies. It's more time than you spend doing
anything else.
So doesn't it make sense to get crystal clear on what matters to you before you
start looking? That's exactly what the Priority Scorecard does.
Here's how it works. I'm going to give you ten dimensions. Ten things that
matter in a career. And you're going to do something that's going to feel
uncomfortable — you're going to rank them. Number one through number ten. No
ties allowed.
The ten dimensions are: Compensation. Location flexibility. Culture. Meaning and
purpose. Schedule and work-life boundaries. Growth and learning. Stability and
security. Autonomy. Team and relationships. And impact and visibility.
Now, here's where it gets real. Most people look at that list and say, "They're
all important." And yeah — they are. But that's a cop-out. Because when you get
an offer that pays twenty percent more than expected but requires you to be in
the office five days a week, and another offer that's fully remote but pays your
current salary — you need to know which one wins.
If you haven't ranked your priorities, you'll agonize. You'll second-guess.
You'll ask twenty people for advice and get twenty different answers.
But if you've done this exercise — if you know that location flexibility is your
number two and compensation is your number five — the decision makes itself.
Here's the important part. Once you've ranked all ten, I want you to take your
top three and write one sentence for each describing your minimum acceptable
standard. Not your dream scenario — your minimum.
For example, if stability is in your top three, your minimum might be: "The
company must have been profitable for at least three consecutive years." That's
specific. That's measurable. That's a filter you can actually use.
And for your bottom three? I need you to acknowledge — honestly — that you're
willing to compromise on those dimensions. That's the trade-off. You can't
optimize for everything simultaneously.
Now let's talk about something even more important than your priorities. Let's
talk about your deal-breakers. I call this The No-Fly Zone.
These are your absolute hard lines. The conditions under which you will not
accept a role. Period. Even when you're desperate. Especially when you're
desperate.
Why is this so critical? Because desperation is real. And it's the enemy of good
decisions.
Here's what happens. You've been searching for three months. Four months. Five.
You've sent hundreds of applications. You've had a handful of interviews that
went nowhere. Your confidence is shot. Your savings are shrinking. And then —
finally — an offer comes in.
Every instinct in your body screams "TAKE IT." Your brain starts rationalizing.
"It's not ideal, but it's something." "I can always keep looking once I'm
employed." "Maybe it won't be as bad as it looks.
This is the exact moment when your No-Fly Zone saves you.
Because you wrote it down three months ago, when you could think clearly. When
you weren't desperate. When you promised your future self that there are certain
things you will not do.
So here's how to create yours. Write three to five absolute deal-breakers. Not
preferences — hard lines. And make them specific and measurable.
Don't write "I don't want a toxic culture." That's too vague. You can't evaluate
that from a job description.
Instead, write something like: "I will not take a role that requires more than
thirty minutes of daily commuting." Or: "I will not accept a base salary below a
number I've calculated based on my financial needs." Or: "I will not work for an
organization that expects regular weekend availability.
Maximum five items. If everything is a deal-breaker, nothing is.
And here's the most important step — share your No-Fly Zone with someone you
trust. An accountability partner. A spouse. A mentor. Someone who will look you
in the eye when you're tempted to violate one and say, "You told me to stop you
from doing exactly this. Now let's go one level deeper.
I need you to answer a question that most job seekers never think about: Beyond
the money — why are you doing this?
This is your "Why" Statement. And it matters more than you think.
Job searching is one of the most psychologically grueling things you'll do.
There will be weeks of silence. Rejections that feel personal. Companies that
ghost you after three rounds of interviews. Moments where you genuinely question
your value.
When that happens — and it will happen — "I need a paycheck" is not going to
sustain you. Paycheck motivation gets you through a bad week. It doesn't get you
through a bad month. You need something deeper.
So here's how to find it. Answer three questions.
First: What are you moving toward? Not what you're running from. Moving toward.
What does the next chapter look like?
Second: Who benefits when you succeed? Yes, you benefit. But who else? Your
family? Your team? The community you're going to serve?
Third: What does your life actually look like when this search is over? Be
specific. Paint the picture. Where are you? What does your Tuesday morning
routine look like? What does it feel like?
Take those three answers and synthesize them into one paragraph. One paragraph
that describes why this matters.
Here's an example: "I'm searching for a role that lets me use my operations
expertise to build something meaningful, while being present for my kids during
the years that matter most. When this search is over, I'm in a role where I'm
growing, I'm respected, and I'm home for dinner.
That's not a resume statement. That's a soul statement. And when you're sitting
in your home office at three in the afternoon on a Wednesday, staring at another
rejection email, and you read that paragraph — it gets you back in the fight.
Post it where you can see it. Read it before every networking call. Every
interview. Every time you feel like giving up.
Let me summarize what we just built. You now have three powerful tools.
The Priority Scorecard tells you what matters most. It's your decision filter
for evaluating every opportunity.
The No-Fly Zone tells you what you will not tolerate. It's your protection
against desperation.
And your "Why" Statement tells you why you're in the fight. It's your fuel for
the long campaign ahead.
Here's the thing that connects all three: they were all designed BEFORE you
looked at a single job posting. And that's the whole point.
Because once you've defined what your life should look like, your search has
direction. You're not scrolling and hoping anymore. You're hunting with purpose.
You have a clear set of criteria that lets you say "yes" quickly, say "no"
confidently, and spend your limited energy on the opportunities that actually
align with the life you're designing.
In the next lesson, we're going to tackle the practical side — Financial Runway
Planning. Because strategic patience requires knowing your numbers. But for now,
I want you to get these three exercises done. They are the foundation everything
else builds on. Go do the work. It will change your search.