Choosing a path in life can be difficult, and choosing a career path can feel monumental in its importance. Often we feel a great deal of pressure, whether from family expectations, or just the financial pressures of keeping ourselves clothed, housed, and fed. Those pressures and expectations can sometimes lead us to make choices for the wrong reasons, or for reasons that don’t work for us long term.
It’s almost an American cliche for someone to wake up after five years in a job and wonder how they ended up doing what they’re doing. In fact, 70% of people aren’t happy with their choice of career.
For many people, their career path starts with the college or university education, because your degree tends to determine your qualifications for any jobs you apply for. That means many people make big decisions about the direction they want their life to go at very young ages like 18, 19, or 20. Small wonder that those decisions may not work well for the next 40 years of someone’s life.
So, is your career path out of harmony with your life? Do you find that the career you chose does not play well to your strengths as a person? Or do you wish you had chosen a path that would better allow you to use your talents and gifts? If you find yourself wishing you could go back and choose another major in college, or that you had a different degree or work experience, perhaps you should seriously consider switching careers.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that most people have 11 different jobs in their lifetime. It’s not surprising that there’s a lot of career dissatisfaction out there and a lot of job switching happening all around us. But what job doesn’t get old after a while? Sometimes the grind gets to people who truly do love what they do. How do you know if your life would be more harmonious if you tried a different career?
One thing to do before considering a new career is to think about yourself as a spiritual being. Read your star chart, track your horoscopes, think about the strengths and weaknesses of your astrological sign. Most importantly, listen to your heart. What is it telling you about the path that would make you happiest? Do you want to help people? Maybe it’s time to look into online degrees in social work. Do you want to follow a creative path? Maybe it’s time to check out the creative writing program at the local university.
The important thing is not to consider your previous experience a waste of time. Every experience is part of your journey. Because you’ve been out in the world and already had a career, you’ve learned more about who you are as a person, and where you will fit. And most of all, you’ve learned to listen to that inner voice; to learn what truly does and does not work for you.
