Do you remember when you were a kid, the many times you were asked what you wanted to be when you grew up? Without even knowing it, that question probably shaped your current work satisfaction and it may be limiting your success in the new economy.
Many of us have chosen a career based on childhood dreams and/or the values that someone else held for us when we were young. We assumed that we would be doing what we wanted when we “grew-up” so set off on a path defined by our early experiences. Days turned into months, months turned into years, and we found ourselves stuck doing things we never planned to be doing. Most of us held the (magical) belief that when we “grew-up” we would suddenly be on the path that would lead us to our greatest self – even though we never figured out what that path of career success would look like.
We often know what our families, communities, and even the world defines as success but few of us have really grappled with how we define our career success. So, all you grown-ups who are reading this, let’s take a few minutes to consider what you define as career success for yourself. Most of us have never really thought about it. To get started, consider these three questions: What activities make you feel the most proud of yourself? What would it take to increase those activities in your work? What kinds of work would let you do these activities more frequently day-to-day?
As you answer these questions see if they give you greater clarity to help you determine where you might best thrive in this New Economy as the unique grown-up you are now.