For average working people, they normally change their careers five to seven times throughout their whole lives. 【小题1】 Without that, you are just a dreamer.

It happens that you neglect thinking about your career when you are busy, but you must spend time considering your current situation and your ideal career path to develop a specific career plan. 【小题2】 When you have a better understanding of yourself and what you want, you are more likely to make a plan that suits your goals and lifestyle. By this kind of self-reflection, you will discover the type of career you want.

【小题3】 You probably need SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound to prepare for success. Studies prove that SMART goals work better when they are written down and shared with others. Sharing enhances your sense of responsibility while writing down allows you to commit them to memory. 【小题4】

Now that you have understood what you want and had your goals set and written down, it’s time to make career decisions. First, list pros and cons of different decisions. And then think about how each path lines up with your values. 【小题5】

How do you feel when talking about your career? Do you want to stay where you are or are you ready to make a change to take steps to achieve success? Reflect, set goals, and make your decision, and you’ll be on the right path in no time.

When I was a girl of five, my mother sold flowers at Camden Market in London. She couldn’t leave me at home on my own, so I had to go to the market with her. As I grew older, I began to help my mom and I really enjoyed it.

Things changed when I was 14. My grandma gave me a book for Christmas, which was all about making candles. I loved it so much that I spent all my free time making candles of all shapes and sizes. I made hundreds of them.

One day, my mother was ill so I had to go to the market on my own. I decided to take some candles with me and see if I could sell them. To my surprise, they were sold out in 20 minutes! The next week, my mom gave me some money to buy some wax to make more candles. They were sold out really quickly, too.

Nine months later, we decided to stop selling flowers. My mom and I couldn’t make enough candles during the week, so some of my school friends started to help us. I paid them one pound for every candle, and we used to sell them for three or four times more expensive than that. It was fun and my friends worked with me in the market.

When I was 22, my uncle lent me some money and I opened my first shop on Portobello Road. Since then, I’ve never looked back, even in difficult times. At the first store, we only sold candles, but now we sell everything from designer furniture to paintings.