Choose your career with care.
How did you start out?
I started out without giving much thought to my career. It never occurred to me that I would be at it for decades. After the excitement of getting a paycheck and a few promotions wore off I found myself more and more unhappy.
I didn’t like being tied to a 9 to 5 schedule. I found it annoying to be on the “clock” for lunch and breaks. After the fifth year I realized I was not cut out for such a structured environment.
Twists and turns
Eventually I was able to parlay my career into something I enjoyed but, there were a lot twists and turns along the way. I went from branch banking and being the manager of one branch to managing 33 offices. After the newness of that wore off I wasn’t happy there either.
I made a career change and went into private banking, trust and investment management. After a few years I ended up in management again, this time running the business for half the state. Once again, after the newness wore off I found myself unhappy once more.
It finally hit me. Just because you’re good at something it doesn’t mean you enjoy it.
I walked away from my career and decided to go back to school to rethink my life. While back in school I needed a part time job to help pay the bills. And, that is how I stumbled into financial sales and the mortgage business.
When you find something you like – you know it.
Working for a financial institution on the mortgage side gave me the freedom I craved. I was able to use all the experience and knowledge I’d gleaned over the years to help people make important financial decisions but, I was no longer tied to a confining 9 to 5 schedule. It was perfect for me.
Crazy times, big money and big burn-out
Then the real estate market began heating up. It went from a simmer to a boil and then the big bang! Suddenly, I found myself no longer able to work only part time. I had so many customers and so much business that I took a leave of absence from my graduate program. I thought I’d go back to it after a while but, I never did.
I was so busy that I worked 7 days a week for several years. When I lost sight of the joy of supporting myself while in school – that’s when the joy went out of my life – again.
Learning lessons
I had to burn out big time to learn that when you focus on money you lose focus on whatever else is important to you in life. You cannot have it both ways. Money will control you if you let it.
Finding balance
I took some time off to write and publish, “The Intuition Principle,” and while away gained some much needed perspective.
What I realized was that it was not the industry I was in that I was tired of but, the pace. I enjoy helping people make financial decisions about real estate. What I don’t like is being so busy that my life is out of balance.
But, I also enjoy writing, blogging, publishing, teaching and consulting with readers of Powered by Intuition.
Make a lifestyle choice instead of a career choice
I now understand that I can’t peg myself as “either/or.” I am not strictly a creative/intuitive/writer nor, am I strictly a financial business person. I enjoy both facets of my personality and am driven to express all parts of me.
Now that I know this I can design a life that works for me and offers the balance between the two areas that I crave.
Time is irrelevant
Some people understand themselves at a young age and will make the right decisions about work early on and, some won’t. As long as you discover who you are and what work makes you happy it doesn’t matter how long it takes. Time is irrelevant.
Life is about change
All that matters is that you learn in your own time and allow yourself to make changes.
Nothing ever stays the same and neither do we. We all change as we grow. We are never the same person we were last year, or the year before that or ten years ago.
Listen to your intuition
The most valuable lesson I have learned in my life is to always listen to my intuition. My gut always knows what I really want and ought to do. Whenever I have tried to force myself to “be practical” or follow anyone else’s advice it has resulted in disaster.
It has been telling me that I need to express my both creative nature and my business side. I’m glad I listened.
Where are you on this path? Are you doing what you want to do? Have you found work that matters?
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P.S. Find out more about following your intuition – click here.
P.P.S. Want to know how NLP training could help you make the right career choices? Head to the Inspire 360 site for more information.
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so Sorry I missed this, would have liked to join. I will need to read more diligently and be more aware. that’s got to be a step for being in a happy place–awareness.
Rosemarie,
I’ve always leaped without looking….being more aware and taking it slower are the answers.
Great post, Angela! I too had a job for many years that I was good at and was comfortable in, but didn’t give me the spiritual fulfillment I was looking for. So I finally moved on, and am amazed to be building a business giving intuitive aura readings online, which suits my personality really well, and makes me feel like I’m being “me” for the first time in my life.
I don’t know if this is what I’ll do forever, since I sort of expect things to evolve and change over time – that’s how we learn and make progress. But for the moment it feels exactly right, and very authentic.
Kudos to you for listening to yourself and finding the right balance for you! Nobody ever said we have to do just one thing. That would probably be boring for some people, in fact! 🙂
Hi Jennifer,
Great to meet you. I’m so glad that this big change worked out for you.
I love what I do here at PbI but, I also crave being out in the world of business too.
I think sticking to one thing can be boring! 🙂
Angela- Your words are just what I needed to hear. I have been through the burn out you talked about ….and with some thing I was passionate about doing and making money from it. But the pace I chose took its toll on me. I have compassion for what you’ve gone through.
I think it’s marvelous that you’ve come to realize that you don’t have to do any one thing – that you are now able to meld your financial and creative pieces of your personality for satisfying, successful work ~ and calling.
We have been so trained in the world – including the blogging world – that our focus needs to be one thing. I am preparing to put my stake in the ground and allow myself to be known as a gardening expert and spiritual/creativity guide. In a funny way, there is a similarity because gardening is such a spiritual/creative practice.
So, I’m in there with you dear Angela. It doesn’t have to be either/or. And if we are following our highest calling, we will experience several transformations throughout our lifetimes. As Jean Houston says – she still doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up.
what a delightful and freeing attitude. thanks for a great post that struck me as meaningful and timely. xxoo-Fran
Hi Fran,
I can that you’ve been going through something similar.
I’m glad you agree that we are meant to be many things in our lifetime.
I can’t “be” just one thing. I have many interests and facets to my personality and so do you.
Let’s celebrate being multi-talented and always exploring new things!
Hi Angela, I can definitely relate when you say that the fact that you were good at your career didn’t necessarily mean you enjoyed it. Practicing law is something I do exceptionally well at this point, I think, but that certainly doesn’t mean I want to spend the bulk of my time doing it or identify with being a “high-powered lawyer.” The law stuff I do is entirely from home now, and I just mix it in with my other projects, and that is much more satisfying than the way I used to do it.
Hi Chris,
I hear you loud and clear. I’m good at managing others but, I don’t enjoy it!
Life is much more satisfying when you can design a “life” instead of just following a “career path.”
So interesting, Angela. This morning, my son said he had three very important things to discuss with us. So Sury and I both instantly left what we were doing, and sat down together with him. One of the three was – “what career will I choose?” You know he’s in Grade 10 now – and this is considered a crucial time to decide which subject they want to focus on, since the next two years will require them to choose. Oh, he knows he wants to take up Science and Math as a combination. But his worry is, eventually, “what sort of job will I enjoy?” 🙂 We reassured him that he had time, and all he had to do now is focus on exploring everything he likes.
You know, they get so much peer pressure – where their choices are considered good only if they decide to be engineers, doctors or lawyers,etc. Anything else is, you know – not good enough. We assured Vidur that whatever he chooses to do, we’ll support him and told him to make sure he feels passionate about his choice.
Very relevant post for youngsters to read today. Kids are also under such pressure from their parents who assume they know what is right for their children and force them to make the choices they decide. So many people end up acquiring an education they go through listlessly and are dissatisfied for life, because they did not have the courage to follow their heart, their intuition.
In my case – it has been strange. Survival was so necessary that I simply embraced whatever I did and enjoyed it. Later, of course,I realized I am just like that. I loved being in sales, advertising, training – and now, I am loving being a freelance writer. Later, if I happen to take up something else, I know I’ll love that too. 🙂
Beautiful post, thanks so much. Love you, you know? Vidya
Dear Vidya,
Your son is so lucky to have you and Sury as parents. I do understand the pressure that kids get to become “professionals.” On the one hand a bit of pressure and guidance is good but, on the other if it stifles their enthusiasm for education because they have to study something they really don’t like that’s not good either.
I always wonder – if everyone became a doctor, lawyer or engineer who would do all those “other” things? lol
Your sunny personality always shines through Vidya! I can see why you’re good at whatever you do too. When you put your whole heart into something when you do it – it always turns out successful! That’s who you are.
Big hugs back to you,
Angela
Based on my own experiences where there are some similarities with yours, I agree with your conclusion: Just because you’re good at something it doesn’t mean you enjoy it.
Some people are happy doing just one job. But some of us simply aren’t. I belong to the latter group. I need a variety. I need to create. There are different parts of me still waiting to be expressed.
Great post! You are talented and there is no need to sacrifice one part for another, if you enjoy both. All the best in your career and path!
Hi Evelyn,
Yes, I know you were in banking too. I learned that I really didn’t like managing other people. I prefer to be in charge of only me!
Thank you for your good wishes.
Loved this Angela and it’s oh so true – we are so much more than we’ve been conditioned to think and once we connect to our intuition all manner of wonderful things flow – yes including the money!
Hi Elle,
I agree of course! We only see what’s in front of us but, if we could see the big picture from a spiritual perspective we would see that all opportunities are there for us. And, so is the opportunity to live in abundance.
Great post Angela!
I have actually always been a teacher right from the moment I graduated. I love my job! I also wanted to be a writer and I’m on that path now, too. Just waiting for the money to follow! 🙂
I’m going to send this on to my college kids to read. Especially my oldest who will graduate this year. I do that that sometimes you have to go through all the agony of that first career to realize that something needs to change.
Thanks!!
xoxo
Betsy
Hi Betsy,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I think sending it to you son is a great idea. Lots of young people graduating now are panicking about finding a job. The important message is – don’t panic and take something you hate just to have a job. Or, at least if you do don’t stop looking for a job you might like.
Let me know what he thinks of the article.
xoxo,
Angela
Thanks so much for linking to my article!