How to Choose a Life Career
A New Page
Blank. Blank is the page of the next transition in your life. Up to this point you have gained experiences, edited out, and tweaked some words on the way to this new page. You have learned what you enjoy, what you dislike. And it has brought you to a new page. Where to begin? The possibilities are endless. How to fill this new page? The next one, and then the next?
1. Start where you are. Look at what you have to bring to the table. Skills. Assets. Preferences. Hopes. You are a unique music box filled with tunes no one has heard before. Now stop.
2. Assess your opportunities. You cannot get very far on a dead end road. Likewise, if you decide you want to be an astronaut and they are not sending any missions to the moon, well, you have gotten no further in this process. Look at clubs, social events, groups, jobs, networking, locations available to you. Make a list if you must.
3. Grab the opportunities and run with them. What is it they always say, "You regret most the things you didn't do. The chances you did not take." Take the chance. Run with it. If it goes awry, look for another opportunity.
4. If and when an opportunity crashes to the ground, do not sulk, pursue it further, or become depressed. Rather, let it go and assess what you have gained from it. You have ALWAYS gained something. Are you a stronger person? Have you learned people skills? Learned that it is a career you do not want to pursue? Developed strong relationships? Enhanced your resume? Gained leadership skills? Have a chance to grow through criticism? Treasure the lesson.
5. Consider your goals but do not depend solely on them for clarity and purpose. What would you like to become? How do you get there? Move up the corporate ladder? Start a business? If necessary, create a long-term plan with steps to try and reach what you want to become. Figure in the costs: tuition, time, money, moving? Are you willing to pay these and invest in your journey?
I can remember feeling lost during a time of moratorium. It was a storm in which I was a rocking vessel. The worst thing you can do is sit and do nothing. Any experience is worthwhile. Interaction with the world around you is vital. Get your hands messy, follow the leads, and see where you end up.
