Some people seem to know exactly what career they want from the time they’re in diapers! They pursue their career and find rich satisfaction. But I’d say that’s less than 10% of us. The rest of us have to figure it out at some point. It would be great if as young people, we were taught how to really determine the perfect career for ourselves! But many of us have already spent decades in careers that we chose simply because they had the potential to pay well. But no matter where you are, it’s never too late to change course and find the career path that will help you flourish fully.
You begin by recognizing your passions. Some of us have never even considered what we’re passionate about so this may feel like a stretch. But sit yourself down and brainstorm about all the things you are passionate about. Don’t concern yourself with how that passion might translate into a practical lifelong pursuit. Simply write down whatever comes to you. And don’t just think about it, write it down. The very exercise of writing will keep you focused.
When you feel like you have an exhaustive list of passions, leave it alone for a few days to let your unconscious process it. When you come back to the list, cross out anything you noted that doesn’t seem very important and circle passions that seem particularly important.
Next, write down your values like freedom, flexibility, security. Again, write as many as you can. Then leave your list for a few days, come back to it and cross out any values that seem less important and circle those that are most important.
Your passions and values are telling you who you are in life. Only now are you ready to figure out what you want to do in life. Looking at these two lists, what possible career paths fit into them? Brainstorm about all the possibilities and write them down. You may want to bring in a friend at this point to help you broaden your career possibilities.
When you have a few that seem to fit for you, begin your research. Use the internet and your contacts to find out what these careers really look like. How much education is needed? What measures success in these occupations? What lifestyle do these careers create? After you’ve weighed it all, it’s time for a test drive!
In my experience, the only way to really know if a career is right for you is to try it out in some form. I wish job or career descriptions could come with a warning label as on a prescription bottle listing all the hidden side effects of that career! But they don’t. You’ll only find out if the occupation is full of people who aren’t compatible with you or the hours are too ridiculously long or the work too repetitive by testing the waters. So whether it’s becoming an apprentice or taking a temp job in that occupation, see if you can get your feet wet before jumping in totally.
If you really follow your passion and honor your values, the emotional ups and downs that come with any lifelong pursuit will seem minor and totally manageable.