Nearly everyone wants a career that is
emotionally, spiritually, and financially rewarding. But unfortunately, a lot
of people never find that professional sweet spot—either because their passion
doesn’t happen to pay well, or because they feel stuck at a job they dislike
for the sake of a steady paycheque.
To achieve a fulfilling career, think about how
you can find synergy between your professional endeavours and your personal
affinities, values, and strengths.
Let your
character and values be your compass.
Consider your basic personality traits. Are you
typically organized or disorganized? Are you patient and deliberate, or do you
prefer to see results quickly? Extroverted, or introverted? Analytical, or
intuitive?
Most importantly, what are the principles you
believe in most strongly?
We can all imagine blatant examples of career
mismatches: people who are vegetarians and vegans for ethical reasons shouldn’t
become butchers; innumerate individuals are unlikely to thrive as accountants.
But there are many more subtle instances of
career misalignment as well. If you like to keep moving and spend much of your
time outdoors, a sedentary office job may wear you down. And if you have an
artistic flair, you may desire significant creative autonomy, and feel
frustrated if your career path doesn’t offer that.
Perseverance
and resiliency are essential.
The main difference between a dream and a goal,
is that a goal revolves around a concrete and achievable plan. But there is
another important distinction: dreams occupy the realm of fantasy, while goals
must contend with reality. In dreams, you can envision your own triumphs, but
not necessarily the barriers that stand in the way.
In the real world, meaningful success rarely
happens overnight—in fact, it often requires years, if not decades. You might
have an extraordinary passion for something, but you’ll also be competing
against many other individuals and organizations that share your enthusiasm.
Almost invariably, you will encounter a great deal of rejection and shortfalls
before you experience the thrill of victory. To bring your vision to fruition,
you’ll need to remain committed to your goals through thick and thin.
An alternative mental approach to failure or
rejection is to remember that your disappointments needn’t define you or even
necessarily set you back. You can instead look at them as stepping stones that
bring your closer to your final goal by affording you valuable lessons and
experience.
Instead
of “work-life balance”, think about your life’s work.
Of course, human beings are social animals, and
it’s important to make time for family and friends outside of work hours. Your
physical and mental health also depend on a healthy diet and regular exercise.
However, the optimal career path for you should
bring you enough satisfaction that you believe your time on the job is
beneficial to you, and that your work is fully integrated into the life you
want. This is one reason why the concept of “work-life balance” is flawed: it implies
that a firewall should separate your profession from the rest of your
existence, and not that your career endeavours are a vital component of your
life.
Instead of trying to achieve equilibrium between
work and “life”, consider instead what you’d like to accomplish during your
lifetime, and why. If you can’t identify how your current professional
trajectory is helping you achieve the long-term goals you’ve set for yourself,
then it’s time to contemplate a career change.
