{"id":350,"date":"2022-08-29T14:17:04","date_gmt":"2022-08-29T19:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manlife.com\/articles\/?p=350"},"modified":"2022-08-29T14:17:05","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T19:17:05","slug":"how-do-you-choose-or-change-a-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manlife.com\/articles\/index.php\/2022\/08\/29\/how-do-you-choose-or-change-a-career\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you choose or change a career?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For most men, our careers are a big part of our lives. That’s what we spend most of our waking hours on, how we make our livings, and, just as importantly, are a big part of how we identify ourselves to ourselves and to others. But, over the course of a lifetime, many folks make major changes in careers, either out of necessity or from feeling out of place where they’re currently working.

So, how are we supposed to know if the decisions we’re making about our careers are the right ones, or whether we should make those changes at all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Do not let choice paralyze you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unless you’ve been literally conscripted into your current job, there was at least some element of choice in your current career or lack thereof. Sure, there were pressures along the way, from parents, friends, school, and society at large. But, even under those pressures, at some point, you might have come to the conclusion that the choice you made was at least somewhat arbitrary.

And, to some extent, we have to recognize that we have, so far, made choices that are arbitrary and could have been otherwise. If you’re middle age or so, and have been in the same career for several decades, for example, you are still playing out the consequences of decisions that you may have made when you were sixteen or seventeen. Looking back at my life, I can say with confidence that, at that age, I knew very little about life and even less about what kind of career I would be well-suited for.

With that in mind, the idea that we can simply choose to stay in our current position, or make some other, new choice, can lead to paralysis, and people feeling trapped in their current careers. And, understandably so: the career you have has, at the very least, gotten you to the point you’re at today.

But, it’s also important to recognize that you are good at more than what’s in your job description. The talents, skills, and personality traits that have carried you thus far in life can almost certainly be applied to something else. To be a decent educator, for example, a sharp memory, some public speaking skills, and a lot of organizational talent go a long way. Those same things also make for a good foundation for a freelance writing business.

Thus, it’s certainly possible that, were you to try something totally new, you might well be able to apply the skills you already have in ways that are effective or recognize ways in which those skills should evolve to your new environment. You’ve survived the consequences of one somewhat arbitrary choice, and it’s likely that you will do well having made another, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Having a Passion Helps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There’s an old adage that, if you like what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. That is, as best I can tell, something of a twisted joke. I love what I do now, and I loved several of my previous professional obligations. With that said, waking up when it’s still dark out to prepare for and teach several lectures, with writing, research, and mentorship responsibilities in between is exhausting work.

Any career will have its great days, and it will have rough days, too. Unless the rough days outnumber the good ones, for a long time and by a wide margin, I don’t think that facing challenges is something that should guide us away from a job or a career path. If anything, the more challenging something is, the more likely that it is something worth doing for yourself or for some broader community.

For example, I would imagine that doing open-heart surgeries is more than a little stressful and challenging. But, I, for one, am extremely glad that doctors continue to do such things despite those challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When the going gets tough, there are only so many things that keep people motivated. Money helps, but only to some extent. What’s the point of a six-figure salary that you’re never home to enjoy? A good cause also helps, and people are willing to put a lot into something that they think is morally right.

Truly enjoying something for its own sake, otherwise known as having passion, is one of the few things that can keep people motivated and working when things are hard. If you find yourself wanting to show up on the hard days simply because you think the work is worth doing, then you’re likely on the right career path. If not, then perhaps consider a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Change is Scary, but Fear is natural<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Circling back to where I started this piece, our careers are where we establish a lot of important parts of our identities, and the means by which we support ourselves, and often others. So, changing that is a high-risk venture that, to be sure, makes a lot of us more than a little anxious. And that makes sense: we’re talking about changing the very foundation for most of the day-to-day operations of our lives.

Here, I’m not supposing that those fears will magically evaporate. What I would like to suggest, however, is tweaking our understanding of fear a little bit.
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Fear works differently than a phobia. The former is our mind warning us that there is some kind of threat. A phobia, on the other hand, is the same reaction to something that is not usually a threat. Given that fear is at least reasonable, we can take it to mean that, yes, there’s something risky going on.

Seen in that light, fear isn’t something to run away from, it’s something to listen to. If you can begin to understand the risks and threats involved in changing a career, then, if your planning is careful and there’s a bit of luck on your side, then you might well meet that fear with preparations that will aid you in accomplishing things that were, previously, merely dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For most men, our careers are a big part of our lives. That’s what we spend most of our waking hours on, how we make our livings, and, just as importantly, are a big part of how we identify ourselves to ourselves and to others. But, over the course of a lifetime, many folks make … <\/p>\n

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