A dear colleague of mine finds himself with many of us in the demographic privileged to check the age box "45-55." Yearning for the broader meaning of life the universe and everything (thank you Douglas Adams) audacious aspirations to achieve the ultimate career goal of doing something that counts. On the sign that once hung in Einstein's office at Princeton reminds us all, "not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." When my collegue casually mentioned in a post script of an email to me that he'd made it to the second round of interviews with a company he wasn't very excited to work for, I wrote him back two simple sentences:
"Do what you love. Don't settle."
Great advice, difficult to follow. We've consulted with one another, commiserated, etc. I've taken workshops, spoken with career counselors and "life coaches" and received answers that didn't address the broader questions keeping me pacing the floorboards at night. What's missing? What do I really love to do? How do I stop getting judged for doing things I don't do particularly well? How do I make what I DO, count?
Angee, a wonderful marketing communications recruiter who I call upon during times of personal decisions such as this one, is completely content and happy and doing meaningful lifework. She's even teaching her craft at university. In her pragmatic trademark tone distinct of the Angee brand, she said I wasn't doing the things I am great at yet and that I hadn't even defined it.
Fear kept me from finding my way. Fear keeps you from allowing yourself to succeed at what you really do best. And that's doing what you love.
As usual, her counsel proved fruitful and productive. I made a short list of companies that I not only admired, but had the right kind of culture for who I am - someone who loves data, knowledge, and being out with people and customers and developing relationships. My short list complete, I've established my goals and charted a course. The future doesn't seem unachievable but quite the opposite.
Even so, the fears and worries still linger in the background every so often - fears about financial and other kinds of security that kept me in roles and in organizations where I felt indeed like a fish climbing a tree - not very good and thus not very happy even though my friends and co-workers would tell you I'm just a driven overachiever.
However, when consulting my short list I smile because I am at the edge of a blue ocean: the uncharted waters for this fish to swim in, happily ever after.
I hope.
Gulp.
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