You ever think, just what am I doing here? I’m not really that passionate about my work. And it sure doesn’t taste like the future I had in mind way back when . . .
Perhaps you feel that way because there’s little room for advancement, or you’re not getting acknowledged for your contributions, or pay has stagnated. And now you’re getting to the end of the line with the status quo. Do you find yourself in this situation because you’ve never fleshed out a vision for your life, a vision that depicts the real you—in perfect harmony with your professional self?
So many of us follow the prescribed demands of our high-stress, super-materialistic society: work your butt off in high school, get into the best college, land that six-figure job. Suddenly, we have some real cash in our pockets and can buy all that stuff meant to spell happiness (the stuff’s imaginary luster already fading just as soon as an eager finger seeks “Place your order” next time you’re on Amazon). Then comes marriage, a house, kids, a slew of new responsibilities. Not the right time to be in a career whose luster, too, is fast fading . . .
We’re all born with certain prenatal tendencies, with strengths and interests that are excellent early indicators of potential future success. See if you remember what activities and passions seemed such natural fits when you were a kid. Did you love team sports, or was the solitary 6-mile run your thing? Do you recall with fondness tinkering with a broken toaster, or writing your own poetry on that special pad, or breathing in the mysterious scents as you explored the woods behind your home? Then you matured and started thinking seriously about your future. Were you more attracted to a desk job behind a monitor, physical work in the fresh air, or running your own business?
Eventually you decided on a major in college. Unfortunately, you never gave much thought to how vastly the life of a student studying the coolest subject on some leafy college campus differs from the routine of a graduate applying that learning in a not-so-leafy industrial lab. Or in the stuffy confines of some sterile high-rise office cubicle.
Back to the future (now your present), pondering, “that’s not what I planned way back when . . .”
The sad thing is that so many people don’t quite see the parts of the puzzle until the pieces finally coalesce into a picture that was clear from the beginning—kind of like climate change, or Putin’s mania to resurrect a dead empire. Then crisis strikes, with your mind finally revolting after years in a career that is just not you.
Life offers few satisfactions as profound as getting up in the morning and looking forward with joy to your workday—especially when that work in some way serves others and contributes to the betterment of the world. Conversely, disillusionment is likely to crush your spirit if the contrary holds true.
Consider this: if you spend 40 hours a week at work, that’s 1,920 hours a year (subtracting 4 weeks for vacation and holidays). Over a 40-year career that equals 76,800 hours—which does not include all those fleeting hours of your natural life span bemoaning what rubs you wrong about work when not even at work. Is that really what you will settle for?
Albert Einstein once said: “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” Your present reality is nothing more than the sum total of your collective thoughts having set into motion a sequence of events over time. What if you were to go back to the consciousness that was you when you were young and innocent, not yet claimed by the world, and melt right back into that state of mind once again?
Perhaps you could try the following: Find your favorite quiet place where no one will disturb you (leave the phone elsewhere) and recall your youth and formative years, what you loved doing best. Feel again the joy you got out of the small and large victories your natural gifts and talents brought you. Think of all the skills you have acquired since. Now energize how you can leverage this unique mix of passions, skills, and talents into a career tailored to who you truly are. Then get busy and make it happen.
I wish you total success! And when it comes, let others know. You will inspire them, helping build a better world.
Steve Kayser is a life coach, author of two novels, educator, and parent. If you are interested in his coaching services, he may be reached by email at steve@kaysercoaching.com