When It Doesn’t Add Up
Growing up we are always asked this key question during our formative years: What do you want to be when you grow up? The interesting thing is we yell out with excitement, professions that we feel are noble of our calling; And so we are off to pursue our dreams with childlike wonder hoping to find fulfillment on the other side of the degrees, credentials, and certifications. But what do you do when you wake up one day and realize that the job you go to daily, although it may be paying the bills, leaves you wanting more from this life? What do you do when you realize that it really doesn’t add up?
Now, these may be some hard questions to grapple with. The interesting thing is the multiple pandemics have parted the seas for us to have some honest conversations with ourselves about what really matters in this life. Perhaps, you are parked here and during your quiet time, you’ve had the following revelations:
You are too educated to not be making as much as your peers in other fields
You are not fulfilled in your current role and it is a means to an end
Your academic credentials and experience do not align with the amount of money you feel you need and deserve in your bank account
The pandemics have exposed that your job is not as secure or protected as you once thought
You have all these degrees but no comparable income to show for all of them and instead, you are saddled with debt
Now you may be saying ouch, right now, or perhaps you feel seen. But let me be honest with you–life is too precious for you to not be enjoying what you do, especially if you spend 40 hours a week, 160 hours a month, or 1,920 hours a year on your job. A recent study found that over 70 percent of American workers are dissatisfied with their jobs. So in an effort to provide insight as you think about your next steps, let me offer you a few suggestions:
1) You first must ask yourself this pivotal question: What do I really want in my career and overall life? This may be the first time you have given yourself permission in a while to contemplate what it is you actually desire for your professional and personal life. At times it is scary to leave the path that seems safe or perhaps is paying the bills in order to truly begin to explore what sets your heart on fire. Let me encourage you by saying this -you owe it to yourself to go after a career that aligns with the vision you have for your life.
2) Begin the process of discovering what field(s) you may want to work in. You have to take stock of all of the skills you possess that would be great both within and outside of your industry. You are way more marketable than you think. And if you need guidance on how to engage in career exploration, elicit the help of a trusted career coach who has a stellar coaching program that will get you the results you need.
3) Lastly, you need to get an actionable plan that can help you strategically plot how to take the next big leap towards the direction you desire to go in. For more tips, check out this week’s webisode edition of the Monday Morning Reset.
Listen, friend, you don’t have to settle. You can be fulfilled, happy to wake up each morning to go to work, and have the lasting impact you desire. Remember–The best is yet to come if you are willing to take action!