When people ask why I became an independent planner, I reply with the following questions…is your hospitality career in a transition? Would you like to make a change?

Ironically, I now find myself sitting on the other side of the desk, with someone in my family going through a career transition. Since I successfully made the move from being an employee to an independent 5 years ago, I am an eternal optimist and believe that things happen for a reason. Change can and should be viewed as a positive experience.

Our industry is going through a time of mergers, acquisitions and changes in brand affiliation. So as my family, and many others that I know in our industry face an uncertain future, it is time to think about where our careers are today, where we want to go and what it will take to get there. It has challenged me to sit back and ask…what if?

1. What if…you knew you could not fail and would achieve whatever you set out to do?

2. What if…you knew you could earn the amount of money you expect and deserve (in proportion to the effort that you put in)?

3. What if…you knew you could live the lifestyle that enables you to enjoy family, friends and your interests outside of work?

4. What if…you had the time and money to give back to the causes that you are passionate about?

5. What if…you knew all of this was attainable…what would you do?

It is a time of change for some and a chance for the rest of us to re-evaluate how we are doing. I know from personal experience that it is possible to make the most of our hospitality industry careers as long as we choose to pursue it with everything we have! If you are not where you want to be today, I challenge you to put together a game plan for 2012 and beyond…because the ‘What If’s’ are possible!

If you would like more information on taking charge of your hospitality career, be sure to sign up for your free report, “Taking Charge of Your Hospitality Career.”