How would you feel, when after years of sweat going through several stages in reaching the top of your field, you finally reach the top and then find nothing there? It is possible that in the process of climbing the ladder you can lose a sense of personal significance and meaning such that your professional career ceases to become a calling but just a means of making a livelihood.
inspiration with Cynthia C Hakutangwi
It is at this point that success means nothing. As successful as you become, you will have failed in your search for a significant life. Building significance into life involves much more than becoming successful at what you do. Many individuals miss this distinction. They get geared up — they go through all the educational procedures, all the professional procedures to reach the top of whatever field they are tackling. Then they believe that, once they are there, significance will be a by-product of success. The truth of the matter is that significance comes from building meaning and purpose into your life, some other meaning than just being the “best and the greatest” and making the most money compared to anyone else in your field.
What is your career goal?
A career goal helps you focus on what you want to do for a living. A career goal can be a specific job you want to do — such as doctor or teacher — or a career goal can be a particular field you want to work in, such as medicine or education. Rather than limiting your future, a career goal may help you discover career possibilities that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. A career goal will also guide you into doing what you want with your life — rather than just drifting into a job. Generally, a career goal is based on your skills and interests, career possibilities, and job trends. Once you have chosen a career, think strategically about the steps to accomplish your goal. Understanding and accomplishing your career goal will be a lot easier if you create a career plan. A career plan determines your skills and interests, what career best suits your talents, and what skills and training you need for your chosen career.
Thinking about a career change?
Are you unhappy and unfulfilled in your current career? Are you thinking about your post retirement plans? In thinking about your future, you must consider what’s important to you in your daily life. What would you think about a career that required a great deal of travel? Is the amount of money you make important to you? How would you feel about a job that required you to move on a regular basis? What hours of the day or night will you be working? Choose three or four aspects of your future lifestyle that are most important. It is never too late in life to consider a career change. You will need to understand your aptitudes/natural abilities, your work values/ what drives you, your work personality, and the transferrable skills you have developed in school or on the job. Most importantly, you need to know what motivates and energises you as you consider the new knowledge or skills you may need to acquire.
How do you want to be remembered?
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You are never too young to start thinking about your legacy. How do you want people to remember you? Is your life worth modelling after? Is it lived with character, integrity and morality? Does your life look the same in private as it does in public? If you want to build a successful life, you make it to the top of the ladder in your field. To build a significant life, you have to discover meaning and purpose along the way. You can be successful without having a significant life, but you cannot have a significant life without being successful. Success without significance is hollow.
Cynthia C Hakutangwi is a communications and personal development consultant, life coach, author and strategist. If you would like to assess where you are in your career and how to develop a career plan towards your significant goals, you can contact her on: E-mail: [email protected]. Facebook: Wholeness Incorporated.
