The sad fact is that too many people are still searching for what they’re ‘supposed to be’ when it comes to their career.  They feel unhappy and stuck in their job, and desperate to discover what they want to be ‘when they grow up’ - even though they are way past adolescence and have years of work experience under their belt!  If you’ve found yourself on the illusive treasure hunt to find your perfect job it’s time to rethink your career plan...

Your Career Isn’t A Fairy-tale

Don’t be fooled by the misconception that people who are happy in their career knew what they wanted to be from an early age.  Yes, of course, there are some people who had a very clear sense of what they wanted to do early on,  but for the majority of people they more likely made a career choice whilst at school or university based on someone else’s opinion; because it sounded good; they didn’t know what else to do; or because someone else told them to do it. 

The reality is that most people don’t know what they want to be when they’re growing up. 

It’s important point to recognise that your career evolves, just as your life does.  Your priorities change as you grow and mature, and as a result the perception you have of your career can change too.  What used to make you feel motivated and inspired, might now leave you frustrated and unsatisfied. 

You may also experience a personal event that changes your outlook on life which then impacts the way you view your career and happiness.  For example,  there are many people have left corporate careers to focus their time and attention on world famine, fundraising for cancer awareness, disaster management – the list goes on - all because of an event, experience or health concern they’ve personally been confronted by.

With the current economic climate it’s also more apparent than ever that the world changes too, and those changes can significantly impact your career.  So the occupation you chose years ago which made you feel invaluable may also change in line with the direction the world goes in, leaving you needing to reassess what you were ‘meant to be’.

So what’s my point?  Firstly, you don’t need to cling to the career you decided on when you were growing up.  Thankfully we are not stagnant-being’s that are defined by a decision we made when we were in our teens!  If you’re unhappy in your current career, you can change it.

Secondly, if you’re waiting to discover what you were ‘meant to be’ stop right now.  Life isn’t a fairy tale and your career plan shouldn’t resemble one either.  You aren’t going to skip along one day and suddenly discover the one thing you were meant to be.  To create a career you love involves taking responsibility for your continual personal development so that you fully understand who you are.  It also involves time and effort in learning how you can create a career that matches your values and life as you personally evolve. 

Your career isn’t a one-time decision made when flares were fashionable, it’s a never-ending journey that can be highly rewarding if you apply yourself. 

Do you want to quit the rat-race and create a career you love?  Click here to find out how

More career coaching articles...

We Protect Your Privacy