Embarking on the journey to discover your ideal career can be daunting, yet exhilarating. Let's delve into the process of identifying your passions, skills, and values to align them with a career that truly resonates with you.
The average worker spends somewhere between 10-14 years at work
around 20-25% of their lives are spent working, and 80% of people hate their jobs.
- The perfect career comes at the intersection of three things: what you value, what you’re good at and what the world values.
Figuring out what the world values
What does the world value enough to pay you for?
- Take what you value and your strengths and look for market opportunities already present in the world
- The key, then, is finding the right place to work in your chosen field
- There are multiple factors that determine how satisfied you are with your job, and money isn’t as big of a factor as you think
- Things like how much influence and autonomy you feel you have, opportunities for training and advancement, how respected you feel, your level of achievement-all of these impact how fulfilling you find your work
- Entrepreneurship is where you combine what you care about with your abilities and create something that people actually want and are willing to pay for
- Can you create something people want and execute on?
Figuring out what you value
What do you value?
- If you value what you’re doing, not only will you enjoy it, but you will also find it meaningful even when it becomes difficult.
- Having meaning is key to pushing through the hard times.
A caveat: The difference between values and compulsions
There’s a difference between doing something because you truly value it and doing something out of compulsion
- Recognize when you’re doing something for the sake of doing it and if you’re running away from something important in your life
What’s a big problem in the world that most people don’t care enough about?
Growing economic inequality
- Ignoring basic personal finance
- College students experiencing a growing rate of homelessness
- Human trafficking
- All of these are problems that need solving, and solving problems gives us purpose and can (often) get us paid.
Step 2: Find out what you’re good at
You might have some technical skills you already know you’re “good” at.
- Identify emotional barriers to sound money management
- Be empathetic with people who have trouble with their finances
- Find new and creative ways to explain basic personal finance topics
No Idea What to Do With Your Life?
Check out my 31-page ebook on finding your life purpose, Finding Your Purpose
What problems do you enjoy solving that most people don’t enjoy solving?
Is there an activity or task you love doing that makes other people’s eyes glaze over, but you see it as normal or, even better, amazingly fun?
- Do it for the love of the work and the patients.
Where do I naturally spend my thoughts and energy when left to my own devices?
If you have to look for a “passion” you’re probably not passionate about it in the first place
- Find something that fills your time, something that takes up your mental energy and focus between 2-for-1 deals at Denny’s and Netflix binges
