Recently I watched this TED talk about the reasons that most people who try to have a great career will fail. It got me thinking about the excuses that I come up with for not making decisions or taking actions that will propel me into the next level of career fulfillment. At this point in my life this is particularly topical to me.
First off, let me quickly set my scene, as my career path to date is a little probably unorthodox, and maybe a reflection of my age being at an intersection of the stable careers of Baby Boomers and ever changing path that Gen Y have been encouraged to tread.
I graduated as a veterinarian. I didn't necessarily want to be a veterinarian - I loved animals (still do), and science (still do), but as it has become clear, working in areas you love are not necessarily enough for fulfillment. I tried different types of veterinary uniform, from mixed animal practitioner in rural Australia and UK, to aspiring equine specialist, to small animal vet. I was a good vet, not a great one. When I finally concluded that these careers were not fulfilling for me, I moved to the veterinary pharmaceutical industry. Here I thought that aspiring to specialist recognition might lead to fulfillment (yes I am a slow learner). When that didn't pan out, I moved to technical and marketing support, where I am still, more or less, today.
Don't get me wrong, some areas and aspects of this journey have been immensely rewarding and at times I have felt like I was making a difference and sensed that fulfillment was just around the corner. However, I think that I have been relying on career far too much, and trying to get the work-life-family balance right. And I know that I make many of the excuses that are outlined in that TED talk. So from that talk I have crafted the following.
I will fail to have a great career life unless
From this, it could be easy to surmise that I intend to blow up a lot of the things that I am doing right now. That is not the case, and that is not who I am. Instead, I am going to be systematic and work to ensure that I do not leave a wake of destruction behind me, but instead a setting of capable people that can also find their way on their personal journey of fulfillment. I will try to keep this quote from the Buddha as an anchor for my journey, using it to stabilise me when I need it.
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
