Career success means a general plan – not a specific one. I’ve asked hundreds of business professionals what they intended to do when they grew up. You can play along. What did you plan to be? Then I ask if they are actually doing what they planned. Are you? Probably not. When it comes to careers – here’s what the 2% know.
Usually, only 2-3% of my audiences are! Does that mean that 97-98% of them are failures because they didn’t follow their plan? No, it just means they aren’t doing what they thought. Or, more likely, they didn’t really know what they wanted at the time. Maybe they’ve since changed their minds, or maybe life events changed their minds for them. Or maybe their current career wasn’t invented yet!
There is a lot of pressure on students to look to an uncertain future with certainty. You probably ask every high school student you meet what they want to be. Instead of thinking of a career as a destination, think of it as the end of a rainbow. There really is no there. Try this:
- Notice what you like to do for hobbies, you’ll get clues as to what work will suit you
- Start in a direction or industry with a variety of interesting opportunity
- Don’t worry about being too specific, keep your endpoint flexible
- Be aware of your changing likes and dislikes, boredoms or challenges
- Think of your work life as an evolution
Success is not about achieving a goal you set years ago. It’s about living a fulfilling life that stimulates and rewards you along the way. When it comes to careers, that’s what the 2% know.
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