The ancient philosopher Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” The meaning of this quote is if a person loves their job, they will enjoy it so much that they will not feel the displeasure of work. This quote is still applicable to our modern society. Two-thirds of Americans are dissatisfied in their career; therefore, the majority of Americans are dissatisfied with their permanent position in society that makes them a living. Most people talk about their dream job, which is their idea of a fulfilling career. Most people do not know that they do not have to sit around and wait for the day their dream job is bestowed upon them; they simply have to create it themselves by taking the right measures.
What a You Can Do To Have a Fulfilling Career
• Do Not Value Money Over Happiness
In today’s world, many people have lost sight of the fact that happiness is superior to money. Often times, people choose a career or stay in a career simply because it pays well when the career itself is not fulfilling to them. While money is somewhat essential for survival, an excess of it is not. The only money you need is enough to allow you to live comfortably. If you do not have mental health, you are not healthy at all. Life is too short to not be happy for the sole purpose of money. In order to have a fulfilling career, you should prioritize pursuing a career that will merely make you happy, even if it only makes the minimum amount of money to live comfortably.
• Choose a Career that Enables You to Use Your Talents
When a person does something that he/she knows they are good at, he/she is satisfied. If you choose a career where you are constantly doing something you are good at, you will constantly feel satisfied with yourself, which will boost your self-esteem. You will not have to question the quality of your performance because you will know that you are good at what you do. Not having to question the quality of your performance takes a huge burden off your shoulders because you do not have to worried about being fired or disliked for your performance.
•Choose a Career that Centers Around What You Are Passionate About and Enables You to Serve a Purpose
A person’s passion is what drives them to do what he/she does. For example, if you are passionate about helping people with challenges they face in their life, the career of a social worker or a counselor may be right for you. Since you are passionate about the purpose of the career, you will be motivated to go to work every day and put your best effort into all that you do at work.
Everyone questions their purpose at some point in their life. If you are in a career that consists of serving a purpose in the world such as nursing, teaching, or humanitarian work, that question may be easier for you to answer because you are serving a purpose through what you do on a consistent basis. Knowing that you are serving a purpose in this world may also boost your self-esteem and satisfaction about your overall life because you know that you are contributing to the improvement of this world and/or people’s lives.
• Opt a Job that Allows Autonomy
No one likes to be micromanaged, and there is definitely no employee that enjoys a boss constantly looking over their shoulder and directing every little breath that he/she takes. The concept of autonomy tends to be more applicable to an individual job as opposed to an overall career. With today’s technology, more jobs within a career can enable more autonomy by allowing employees to work at home and/or more flexible hours. For example, a person who wants to go into journalism has the choice between an office job, where he/she has strict, assigned hours, or a telecommute job, where he/she has a lot more flexibility in when and where he/she works. Though the telecommute job may pay a smaller salary and comes with less prestige, he/she should opt for the telecommute job because it allows for more freedom.
• Value Respect Over Status
Many people cannot wait to be promoted to manager or CEO. However, the people in these high positions in a company are often not the most respected or well-liked people. Often, people become corrupted by such status. In order to pursue a fulfilling career, you should opt for a career and a job where you will be respected, as opposed to a career or job where you have a lot of potential to advance and gain notoriety. Even if you have the power to tell people what to do and fire them if you do not like them, you will be gossiped about and name-called behind your back. The prime example of this is celebrities. They possess a high status in the world, but they are not respected by the media and many members of the population.
• Do Not Follow a Strict Plan
Many people do not know what they want to do when they are in their late teens and early twenties. Unfortunately, most people are forced to map out a plan for their career path at that point in their life. Often times, they are not fully informed about the career that they are pursuing. For example, an eighteen year-old may not realize that being an early childhood education teacher requires more than just being around adorable little kids every day.
When a person get into that major or that career, he/she often realizes it is not for them, but they do not switch majors or careers because it deviates from their original plan. If you are not fulfilled in your future or current career, do not stay in it because you had a plan mapped out. In life, you should always value the long-term over the short-term. If you change majors or careers, you may have to take more courses or go back to school in the short-term, but you will be fulfilled in the long-term. With today’s technology, it is not difficult to change your plans with online universities. For example, if you suddenly decide that you want to be a nanny or go into the medical field, you can easily do your BLS renewal online.
It is also important to know that you do not have one destiny in life. You have multiple talents and passions; therefore, there are several careers out there that are right for you. In order to find a fulfilling career, you have to consider all of the career options that relate to your talents, passions, and desires.
Why You Should Strive for a Fulfilling Career
You only have one life to live, and life tends to speed by faster than you think. Unfortunately, you spend the majority of your life working, but if you are working at a job you love, you will not feel like you are working. You do not want to be miserable during the majority of your life. Though money is important, it is not the first priority. Your happiness, mental health, and satisfaction with your life are the first priority. A well-paying career may not be a fulfilling career; a fulfilling career is one that makes you happy, enables you to use your talents and passions, makes you feel like you are serving a purpose, and provides you with autonomy and respect.
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