Choosing a career path based on something that you think you’re good at is an obvious choice. It seems like the easiest and most sensible thing to do.
But, defining your career path should be based on the following:
Knowing the difference between what comes naturally and what you’re good at. And why one is better than the other.
On getting hung up on the obvious. Doing what’s expected. And adjusting to fit.
So you invest time and money into it, not forgetting the emotional and physical commitment.
It’s all you think about and it’s all you talk about. It becomes a conversation starter when you’re socially awkward or you want to be heard.
The truth is, having any direction is better than none at all. It gives you a sense of purpose or let’s use a trendier phrase…’a sense of agency’.
But what happens when it becomes unfulfilling even when the money is good?
No project or commitment is easy, but doing what is right for you should feel natural – the way you are in your most mundane moments. It shows up in the things you do proactively, not out of obligation.
Doing what feels natural is not the same as doing what you’re good at.
The latter implies a learned skill, process, method, or behavior that is repeated self-consciously.
The former is what happens intuitively unaffected by preconditioned notions or behaviors and is repeated unselfconsciously.
“How did all this come about? Have I done something wrong?”
The drama sometimes starts at the point of childhood. Certain traits and talents become obvious to people around you and then you become conscious of it.
In my experience, I was always good at drawing but not conscious of it. Until people around me started pointing it out. All of a sudden I was something.
I got cloaked in the identity of an artist, a drawer, and a ‘talented’ person – and I conceded.
As I got older, I became interested in other things but felt obliged to live through that identity instead. It was created for me and accepted by me because it made total sense, ie. I was a good drawer. None of it was fake.
It just never brought me lots of money or happiness. It came naturally, yes, but it never felt like my true nature.
My true nature is the stuff I do to pursue and feed that artistic thing.
It’s the fact that I write more about it than actually doing it.
The tips, advice I give and observations I make about it rather than sitting down and being in the process of actually making it.
It’s nothing new, we always rise to the wrong occasion.
Does one path need to be swapped out for the other? No. Rather be aware of how they co-exist. Both should be nurtured in tandem.
Be aware of what you’re practically good at that gives you a sense of purpose.
Also, be aware of the things that don’t require a learned process or behavior.
Using my example: Drawing constantly is just a learned behavior we discover for ourselves and which we interrogate through repetition. Then someone experienced teaches us techniques that facilitate that repetition until we eventually master it. So this becomes the thing that we’re good at. It’s not our true nature. It only creates a sense of belonging because you’re adding to a conversation. That’s important, but so is what makes us feel independent and fulfilled.
The thing that comes naturally – that makes us pursue drawing intuitively – is our curious nature, the passion to observe, investigate and interrogate a thing (object) or collect visual information about something. That is actually the thing that’s bringing fulfillment. The drawing is the vehicle.
Being aware of the differences can improve the quality of your life not just financially but emotionally as well.
What is the Solution? How do you discover what your natural path is?
Try this:
Observe what you’re doing around that ‘thing you’re good at’.
What would you rather be doing instead?
Pretend money isn’t an issue and that everything is free. Don’t think about what you ‘would like to be doing’.
What are you doing? Write it down.
It needs to be effortless and every repetition of it should feel like the first time, ie. like ‘it never gets old’.
That’s a clue. It’s the essence of a career that is right for you.
For example, again, I am always writing about what I’m going to draw through lists and research. And I’m always decluttering without motivation, meaning I love clarity. So, I’m always looking for information and ‘how-to’s’ and constantly learning. In fact, I’ve made learning a lifestyle by choice – spontaneously and without financial motivation. I use it as an excuse to avoid drawing – I know I can draw, but it’s not an issue. I do it well, but on a psycho-emotional level, my true nature is that of a searcher.
I’m not a collector of art materials but a hunter and gatherer of information about it.
No surprise I create and write content for multiple blogs. It’s the thing I would do more for zero money.
Conclusion
I am a huge proponent of pursuing what feels effortless and doesn’t require you to try too hard.
Reinvention is fun and keeps things fresh. But, that shouldn’t be toyed with. It’s best left for fashionable or temporal pursuits.
When it comes to defining how you spend your days and the conversation you want to be adding to for the rest of your life, that requires thoughtful observation. You need to invest the time to become highly self-aware and comfortable with using your intuition.
Intuition and instincts are not the same – in my opinion at least. Instinct is how you respond in a situation, usually in a fight or flight scenario. It kicks in pretty fast. Intuition, on the other hand, is a slower, deeper process and one that you should pursue developing to your advantage. It works wonders in business, of which your career path forms part.
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