It has become ingrained in our culture that we need to “Follow Your Bliss” and “Do What You Love” and all sorts of other platitudes. Don’t forget that you have to have your Dream Job. And yeah - I believe that you 100% should do the things that bring you joy and that light your fire and yeah, that you’re passionate about. But I do NOT agree that you need to make your passion your source of income.
Are you bored at work? Has it been a long time since you’ve actually been challenged on the job? There’s a reason. Sometimes you can be too comfy.
I'm not actually talking snuggies, yoga pants and comfy sox. Those things are awesome. I'm talking about feeling totally, yes too, comfortable in your career.
The 'devil you know' comfort is born out of fear. You stay where you are, doing what you're doing, because of fear of the unknown. Where you are might be crappy - but at least you know what kind of crap to expect... right?
Unless there's something on your horizon that gives your stomach the jitters and freaks you out just a bit... something that pushes you out of your comfort zone... you will always be *exactly* right where you are. That's fine... right?
There is a time and space that you get to where you know it’s time to leave your job but you also know that it's a safe place and the devil you know is better than whatever freaky, hypothetical, scaries are out there in the world.
If you are one of the many who have lost their job and are feeling lost, I am sorry. If you’re taking this time to explore your options and possibly make a career change because of losing your job, your next immediate steps should be to get you back on track and set you up for success. Losing your job can be devastating but know that there still lots of opportunities out there for you after losing your job.
Your job is being eliminated - WTF do you do? Technologies, industries, and markets all change. If you are in a role that is being diminished due to change what do you do after a job loss? Reinventing yourself and starting over after a job loss is terrifying but here are some tips you can do to handle a job loss.
You need people. We all need people. You need a support system to find your career passion and you are also a support system. Whatever it is, whoever it is- you cannot do anything alone. Nobody is self-made. Sure, you can do - and have done- amazing things in your life or in your career but nobody can do it alone. You have to have a support system to find your thing.
Career fulfillment is a 100% personal concept. Fulfillment doesn’t mean you need to wake up every day with hearts and rainbows in your eyes about your job, but it does need to mean that you get true satisfaction from it - beyond a paycheck. What is fulfilling for one person could be a nightmare for another so you will need to define what “fulfillment” means - for you.
