Get a Job?

We live in a time where more career options are available to us than ever before, and yet we may feel more restricted, confused, and limited - precisely because we have so many vocational choices that it is difficult to decide what we truly want to do.

The classic idea of "go out and find a job" is still the most mainstream approach to earning a living but many of us are coming up against the inherent limitations of trying to fit ourselves into someone else's box.

When children are asked, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" We often hear them give many different answers at different times in their development. There are so many things that sound interesting or exciting to them, and they may find it difficult to lock themselves into one career choice, especially at a young age.

If I ask myself what my ideal job would be right now, the same basic principle applies. I find myself scrolling through options but never feeling quite right about picking just one thing. This article suggests that people may change jobs between 10-15 times throughout their lives.

If this is true, we can explore some possible reasons. Greater financial gain may be an obvious factor. If I am working at one job and another is available that pays even slightly more, I may jump at the opportunity without looking at other factors.

Boredom is another obvious example. If I have been crunching numbers at the same desk for 5 years, any new career change may appear more than welcome at a certain point.

I think the real answer lies in the fact that human beings have many innate talents, passions, and gifts- all of which are meant to be expressed on a regular basis. If I have one job that flexes my analytical muscle but not my creative side, I will eventually crave a means to express what has been dormant. If I then land a great creativity-based job, I may eventually feel another talent or passion yearning to come forward.

This cycle may continue indefinitely since it is highly unlikely any given job on the market will be able to allow me to express all these aspects of myself simultaneously. This is where the "create a career" concept starts to become a lot more appealing to many of us.

Entrepreneurial ideas have been the subject of much discussion among my friends, colleagues, and clients. It seems as though many of us aspire to creating the business of our dreams, and yet the action steps seem to be a more difficult endeavor. People report sitting at their day job and dreaming of what they yearn to be able to do, only to go home and watch Game of Thrones and not take any steps in creating their future.

A day job, unsatisfactory as it may be, offers a sense of stability, security and predictability that can foster an attitude of complacency. If my job is "not all that bad" I can easily postpone the creation of my ideal career indefinitely, even if I know the concrete steps that need to be taken.

The key thing I suggest to my clients is to make a commitment to take even one small step every day towards the creation of their ideal occupation or career. This can be as small as writing an inspiring article, making blog or vlog entries, putting aside some money every paycheck to invest in their new business, and connecting with friends and colleagues who may be interested in the same type of thing.

Getting a job is relatively easy, since all we have to do is fulfill a checklist of requirements for whatever we are looking for. The creation of our ideal career is something that demands 100% of our participation and engagement. It asks us to put it all on the line, so to speak. The delicate balance for many right now is to be able to stay motivated to pursue their true passion while relying on a day job for daily survival. As challenging as this may be, I can assure people it is well worth the effort.