15 Dec The Problem With Career Choices

It’s kinda impossible to be bored in today’s world. The internet has just made things so much more visible and accessible. You’re aware of a lot more now in terms of opportunities than you ever were. And that’s great for your interests and hobbies. Anything you want to learn, guaranteed there is some Youtube video on it. In regards to choosing a career path? Not so much.

Because now you have gotten it into your head that career happiness will only come when every single thing you enjoy is wrapped up in a neat little box. Why should you have to pick just one thing and give up on all the other options out there?

Fuck, what if you miss out on something?

The truth is, you have been told you can have it all, so you want to do it all, at once. And you can’t.

I will be the first to put up my hand and say it’s not entirely your fault. We value our freedom so much and have come to recognize the amount of choice we have as a direct expression of our freedom. That’s why instead of just Chocolate and Vanilla, there’s Rocky Road, Heavenly Hash, Strawberry Cheesecake, etc. And that’s why when it comes to work, picking just one path for yourself feels limiting, constraining even.

So what happens instead? Typically one of two things, which totally goes against the whole concept of freedom. You either:

1. Fall into the trap of career FOMO, where you start off solid by making a decision on the career path you want for yourself. Only by now you have been debating for so damn long that you are never fully satisfied with your choice. Because no job is perfect. And with every slight hint of imperfection you’re asking yourself “what if I went with Strawberry Cheesecake instead?”

OR

1. You send yourself into complete and utter career paralysis. Where you are incapable of making a choice at all because the whole decision is so overwhelming! How many times have you thought that you need to make a change but put it off for the moment because the whole thing is just too much to deal with? Meanwhile you continue trudging along at a job that you know is not working for you. Yep – career paralysis.

The good news?

Now that you have the awareness, you can take control of your indecision, instead of letting it control you. You can look at your options, decide to suck it up, and choose how you want to move forward. And the payoff will be giving yourself the opportunity to invest in something, to master in something. You will come to be known as the highly skilled go-to person in your field. You will be valued. And that my friend is the stuff that builds passion.

The bad news?

Sorry, I don’t have a quick solution for you about how to choose. It’s going to involve getting clear on what you actually need to be happy – not what people tell you to want. And doing the work needed to fully explore your options, and how they align with what you want for yourself.

Just know that NOTHING is perfect. You will never be 100% confident with your choice. With every decision there is always a part of it that is a leap of faith. But you can make the best decision for yourself at the time with all the information you have available. And know that whatever you encounter, it will always take you closer to your end goal, as long as you keep moving.

Allison xo

What do you think? Do you feel like you are suffering from Career FOMO or paralysis? Let me know below!