We graduate from high school and are more or less expected to choose a career path immediately. Generall
y, those of us that are at the average age of 18 haven’t any idea what to do until retirement. If you are anything like I was at that stage in life, I had no idea. Being the first in my family to go to college, I worked extremely hard in high school and hadn’t thought much about what I’d do forever. I studied business at a small, liberal arts school with a concentration in marketing and international business. Additionally, I have an accounting minor and just one class shy of a Spanish minor. Oh, did I mention I have a MS in exercise, fitness and health promotion that I no longer utilize. My career hasn’t taken a direct path to get to where I am today, but I am very happy with my current position. As this article from LinkedIn mentions, very few people, successful people, say they didn’t plan to be in their current role. More likely than not, people who love their jobs found themselves in their position by discovering who they were and what they were capable of. Those that consciously planned to be in their current job are the minority.
What does this all mean to you? According to this article, you should stay present and not let the past interfere. Really evaluate what your job offers you and what your skills are. Then, you should determine if you are fulfilled at work, receive pleasure from work and if you receive appropriate recognition? If you can honestly answer yes to all these questions, the career path you are on may very well be the right one. However, as this article states, surrendering to who you are right now, or just going with the flow, could keep you from getting to where you really want. Listen and pay attention to what is going on around and make smart decisions to help guide you to something you love whether you planned it or not.
