Good stuff in this article. Wish I'd had these insights years ago.
One question remains unanswered, however, which goes to this quote:
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Originally Posted by StevePavlina Once you recognize your mistake, cut your losses and get out as soon as possible. A wrong decision doesn’t become a right decision by pretending. Forgive yourself and move on.
It’s very challenging to hit upon the right career choice even with deliberate, conscious intent. That’s OK. You have the right to make mistakes. That’s how you learn and grow. As you make mistakes, you’ll refine your thought processes, and your decisions will improve. |
OK, so let's say that I find myself in a career that's unsatisfying. Fair enough, it's pretty common.
The quote here leads me to believe that I can, and should, just up and quit, forgive myself for making a bad decision, and pursue something else.
But it's never that easy, is it?
If I've got a mortgage and kids and car payments and the whole domestic schmear, simply throwing one's career - no matter how bad a fit it is - doesn't really seem to be much of an option.
Let me give you a brief example.
A number of years ago I found myself out of work due to circumstances beyond my control. (Yes, it really WAS beyond my control; a Canadian division of the firm I was working for was put into receivership by the US parent company.) Given my educational background, age and gender, I had a very difficult time getting new work. The phrase I heard most often during my search was, "overqualified." That, and the unspoken realities of being a middle-aged white male also worked against me. The organizations I was looking to work with all had plans to increase diversity in their employee base. I understand and support that philosophically, but the simple reality was that "middle aged white males need not apply." That bias was usually displayed on the job boards of organizations in question. Here's one, taken verbatim with the name of the organization removed:
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"organization" welcomes and encourages applications from the designated employment equity groups: Visible minorities, women, persons with disabilities and aboriginal people.
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In short, if you're a middle-aged white male, you're already starting behind everyone else.
Again, I hasten to add that I understand and respect the concept of employment equity. Diversity works, there's no question about that. The danger is that the process simply becomes another form of discrimination.
The result? I was out of work for about 18 months. I used that 18 months to write a couple of books but couldn't get a publisher/distributor, and didn't have the financial means to self-publish or self-distribute. I also offered my services as a sub-contractor for marketing departments in my field of expertise (finance and leadership/organizational development) and that went OK but didn't generate enough income.
So just chucking one's career, even if it's not working out, is a huge decision and affects more than just the person making the career change.