If you ran into your six-year-old self and you listened to the conversation about how you’d be when you grow up, what would that six-year-old have to say about your progress thus far?
by Pete Ferguson
Many find themselves in accidental careers. A job opening appeared at the right time and the right place, which lead to other roads taken, to where you are today.
Is what you are doing today encapsulating your dreams and passions? If yes, congratulations. You are probably among the top 5% of the population, if not the top 3%.
If you are in an accidental career which has not aligned with your passions, the longer you stay, the harder it is to leave.
In your twenties, you likely made less than $30,000 a year and had few responsibilities. Cutting loose at this level is easy as you can very quickly replicate your finanicial needs and meet your living needs.
As you head towards midlife, life responsibilities stack on top of each other and the salary you would have to replace has evolved. Now, replacing medical benefits, 401k and other compensation becomes more daunting.
Additionally, you have gotten pretty good at your career, so you justify staying because you have been good at doing something – but in reality, if you won the lottery or an inheritance today, would you really return to your job tomorrow? Or would you finally stop putting your dreams on hold?
Convenience can be your worst enemy as it allows you to slip into complacency. Complacency can cause you to stop moving forward. This buildup of angst is the reason for the midlife crisis where seemingly stable individuals suddenly break and regress to the teenager they always wanted to be.
Rather than pulling the plug on a career you’ve slipped in to, why not plan your evolution into work you love?
Learn: Start with an honest inventory of what you love and hate about your current job. What are common themes that have reoccurred throughout your life?
Act: Take a personality profile to gain greater insight of how you perceive yourself and how others likely perceive you. Start researching today what you will do tomorrow.
Share: Join with others who share your passion and find out how they transitioned into doing what they love full time. Share with them your fears or confusion and they will share with you how they got to where they are today.
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“Convenience can be your worst enemy as it allows you to slip into complacency.”- Love this line.
Thanks Jeff. Sometimes you write something and don’t realize how deep it is until someone quotes it back to you. I actually thought you were sharing a quote from someone else.
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