Top 3 Reasons You Should Change Your Career Now!!!
“Your next career doesn’t have to be your last”
This is a saying some of us were lucky to have heard at one point or another. A smaller minority of us who heard this saying were fortunate enough to be in a mind state to actually heed this advice. There are moments in life where a decision simply has to be made whether for reasons related to health, family or self-fulfillment. Sometimes, a career change may be related and required for balance of all three. As we know, one area of a person’s wellbeing most always affects the other.
Let’s look at three reasons you should consider changing your career NOW:
Excellent Money, No Fulfillment
Terrible Money, Absolute Fulfillment
Broke and No Fulfillment
Excellent Money, No Fulfillment
If you are a U.S. citizen making over 80k before taxes, give yourself a pat on the back, you are among the top 25% of earners in this country according to dqydj.com.
However, it’s not all yoga and donuts just because your income covers most, if not all of your financial responsibilities. One thing that is overlooked when considering higher paying wages is the work that goes into maintaining such a wage, in short:
Your pay is equivalent to the value that you provide
In order to maintain a higher paying position, it can potentially take away from other areas of life that you enjoy and make you a well-rounded and more emotionally adjusted contributor. That being the case, you better make damn sure it’s something that you enjoy doing. If you do not enjoy what you do, the risk then becomes how your external circumstances can disturb your appreciation and outlook on the position you have. If it grows to the point of contention…you may consider a new career.
The late Notorious B.I.G. said it best: “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems”
So what’s the problem exactly? 🤔
Have you ever seen a child complain about having nothing to do when they have every toy/distraction imaginable? Think about this at scale to a grown adult and realize that money doesn’t always bring happiness. Fulfillment in what you do, are doing and plan to do, will provide a sense of wholeness that money just can’t fill. This lack of purpose or mission can lead to destructive financial habits, marital affairs and lack of focus. Recall when I mentioned that your earning potential is equivalent to the value you provide? Ultimately, the lack of fulfillment will translate to less value provided and could spell the end of whatever vehicle was providing the income in the first place.
Things you can do:
Find something productive you are passionate about and do that, A LOT
Become a mentor to someone else and fall back in love with your trade/skill
Consider that you’ve reached a level in your career ladder that you no longer have the motivation to climb…then find a new ladder that suits the new you better
Little/No Money, Absolute Fulfillment
Let’s take a moment to thank all of the selfless healthcare professionals, public servants and military for their contribution to our society. Some professions are selfless in nature and by virtue are very rewarding to those who take such roles on. Let’s not confuse the importance of a school teacher, first responder or social/construction worker by the average income for these professions, they are the examples of the backbone to this country. Nonetheless, the truth is these are not typically the highest paid positions and could cause emotional stress and financial burdens on those who answer the call to serve the greater good.
We spend most of our adult lives at work, nearly 90,000 hours or one-third of it, to be exact according to this gettysburg article. We should enjoy what it is that takes up so much of our lives. The problem is that sometimes, the fulfillment from the job you love the most, doesn’t provide financial stability you would like to enjoy. Imagine you are a working musician and have the opportunity to do what you enjoy everyday thoroughly but oftentimes have more month than money left over. If this metaphor describes you then let’s see what alternatives there are:
Side hustles: have a car? have a skill? love connecting people? — these are all things that can be done with the resources you already have that can lead to potential supplemental income
Start networking: get out and around people that make the kind of money you see yourself making — you may find a balance between something you love and something that pays
Create your own lane: take the thing that you currently do and find a way to make it more profitable by investing time and energy in yourself to move up or move on
Broke and No Fulfillment
This is the final stop, this is the point where you look at the clock faster than it can tik tok, the point where you break your day down into sections just to make it and Friday is a weekly holiday that you’ve been planning since Sunday night of the same week. Folks, if you are in a position that you don’t find rewarding whatsoever and aren’t getting paid enough to sustain anything above a minimal lifestyle, you are in danger and should make a decision before it gets made for you.
At some point or another we have likely all experienced something like this and outside of it being depressing, it can also lead to other issues such as health, financial and even social stresses.
I’m glad you asked. From someone who has been there, this typically happens when there is a lack of direction, the hard truth is that you have no one to blame but yourself. Let’s be real, going with the motions can leave you stranded on a remote island with a volleyball and a bad haircut. Always make sure to have your own compass for where you see YOUR life in tact and follow your instinct of what makes you happy, both money over fulfillment or fulfillment over money are better than the depths of lacking in both.
What needs to happen ASAP:
Find a skill, trade or legal means to make yourself financially stable — this is the first stop…get…on…your…feet!
Research online other careers that ideally you would like to do and that will pay you — lacking focus is what got us here, we need to have goals moving forward or get used to “Wilson” and his mood swings
Ask for help — here’s the thing, most people are more than willing to provide a hand up to someone they see who is actively trying to change their position in life in a positive fashion, the challenge is on YOU to start making that change and be open to letting people help you
At many points of our lives, we’ll be faced with challenges that we need to overcome, that’s what makes this thing called life interesting. At any of the three stages I’ve listed above, it is a pivotal point for you to decide whether or not your chosen path is the one you’d like to continue to pursue. To add yet another challenge…no one can make that decision for you. However, in doing so, you’ve taken the first step to take control of the vessel that represents your life and where you will lead it.
If any of the above sounds like a friend of yours please share. If this sounds like you or something you’ve experienced at any point, I’d love to hear your story and how you chose to overcome your situation.
“No Shine, Before the Grind” — JT The Hustler
Editorial note: Check out my full video on this topic here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_4QQZhs3Eo&t=355s&ab_channel=TheLegalHustle
