Repeat after me: "I will read this article"
The new year is a time for new beginnings, focusing on
priorities, and making a resolution to take (and maintain)
action. It's a perfect time to make a resolution or commitment
to find work you love.
BUT, finding a natural vocation that motivates you every day
because it uses your trademark talents and satisfies your own
core needs requires more than just wanting it.
Everybody wants something. People want a large house with
columns, a new partner, a different body and a vacation in
Tahiti. They even want a new life - at least a new work life. At
least that's what the statistics and my observations reflect. If
so many people are longing to be in their dream career, then why
do too few actually achieve that goal? The answer, my dear
reader, lies mainly in the difference between wants and
commitments.
Want: n. the state of desiring something that is absent or
unavailable.
Wants are our hopes, dreams, ambitions and passions. Wants keep
us going, but they're a dime-a-dozen. This is because they're so
easy to have. Wanting does not require an action. You can lie on
your couch watching "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", and all
the while your wants float in and out of your head as easily as
fantasies, which is about what they are.
Commitment: n. the act of binding yourself (intellectually or
emotionally) to a course of action.
Commitments, on the other hand, are requirements that you
establish for your life. They are solemn promises to achieve a
specific outcome. They supply you with the raw energy--the
motivation--you need to live an extraordinary life.
Compare the two statements:
Nancy: "I want to find a career I love" Karen: "I will find a
career I love"
Who do you think has a likelier chance of find a career they
love?
The bottom line to all of this is that if you want to achieve a
fulfilling career, you must make some commitments to yourself.
There's no way around it.
Where to go from here?
The key to positive career choice lies in:
1. identifying your comprehensive list of wants 2. deciding
which wants to commit to
Identifying your complete list of wants involves examining every
aspect of you and your situation: your natural abilities,
personality, work values, goals, ideal work environment, and
family situation. I have found that the most effective way to
accomplish the first step is through a methodical combination of
(a) introspection, (b) personal assessments and (c)
exercises/inquiries posed by a professional career
counselor/coach.
Once you have that list, you can start on the second
step--deciding what you want to commit to and what you're
willing to work for.
Why don't we get what we want?
Because life simply is not fair. In fact, it can be downright
crappy at times. Our odds of stumbling into a wholly wonderful
life are only slightly better than hell freezing over. But the
odds increase dramatically when you commit to having a wonderful
life.
As the Rolling Stones said "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
Notice that they didn't say "You Can't Always Get What You
Commit To."
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