The truth about Dream Jobs, I wish someone had told me years ago: your one and only Dream Job doesn’t exist or, if it does - it ain’t so dreamy. What you can, and should, strive for is to Find Your Thing: a career you are interested in and enjoy that lines up with your core values and beliefs but perhaps isn’t your end-all-be-all-hanger-of-all-hopes-and-dreams.
Feeling more than a little overwhelmed and like you have no control right now?
I hear you - a lot of us are. So how about taking control of just a few daily items that will help quiet that overwhelms and restore some much-needed calm by starting in decluttering your career?
Let’s clear out some career cobwebs and free up more of your time, energy, and brain space so you can make room for clarity.
Just like ANY space (ahem under your bed, or ahem ahem, your closet), your career can become a very cluttered world of its own. Every once in awhile it needs a good dusting and right now is a better time than most. So let's start with 6 main places you wanna declutter your career and clear the dust bunnies from.
Having gone through two major career changes what I've learned is the answer most likely is right in front of you.
Name a job and I’ve done it.
While intellectually I knew I had to make a career change, I just couldn’t give up a job that I loved so much it had been the basis of much of my identity. I was a teacher.
No, you shouldn’t ‘Follow Your Passion.’ I’m serious. This idea that you should find, then blindly follow, your ‘passion’ is overwhelming and ultimately unhelpful.
Finding Your Passion looms large. Finding Your Thing is the way to go.
Here's the deal. You know that feeling you've got right now? That "Totally lost, I'm stuck, WTF am I even supposed to do with my career, can't someone just tell me what I'm supposed to be doing?!?" feeling?
Man it sucks doesn't it? I know that feeling, but what you’ve been told, this idea that you ‘just’ need to Find Your Passion’ - it’s not a reasonable goal.
I've been through two major career shifts of my own and I’ve spent years helping clients figure out what their thing is.
Are you already feeling overwhelmed by all the “IT’S ALMOST A NEW YEAR!” inspo quotes filling your feed…. annnnnd yet, you do feel like maybe yeah, it is time for a change?
If you wanna change something up, but have no idea exactly what - here are four tried and true ways to get your creative thinking juices flowing.
In my work with both my one-on-one and group program clients, there is one consistent exercise I have them all do, no matter what outcome we are working towards.
I have them to keep an “Inspiration Book”.
What I'm asking them to do is to pay attention to what they're paying attention to. What out in the world gets them excited, interested, happy, thoughtful... all of the good stuff. Most of them have come to me because they are looking for a change in their careers. They want to find more meaning and the only way to do that is to do work that aligns with your deep-rooted values, beliefs, and interests.
Do you want to know how to climb the corporate ladder and find success? Why not try not climbing it? What is the difference between the corporate ladder and the corporate lattice and which is for you? Both lattices and ladders exist within companies themselves and within your own career as a larger whole. No matter which path you select, you need to be your own best advocate. You will need to be the one making sure that your goals are being met and that you’re making room for the possibility that plans can and will most likely change.
