As a Career Counselor for 20+ years, here's my best advice: Decide on the lifestyle you want to live and the personally meaningful work that will support it. Realize that it's not all about the money. Live and work on your own terms - not someone else's.
Most jobs are not worth doing - at least - not by you. Study after study shows that 70% of employees are not engaged in their work. They only show up for the pay cheque and benefit plan. Don't worry about a Pension Plan from a job because most no longer have them. If you find work you enjoy - you'll never want to retire anyway - so do what you love is good advice.
Staying in a job you don't enjoy will erode both your mental and physical health. Science can now prove this. Check out the stats on how many workers are off on stress leave. If you currently have a job, you probably know at least one of those workers.
The New Economy holds many options for meaningful work. It sometimes goes by the name, The Sharing Economy. The future of work shines bright once you know where to look. The regular media feeds us just the doom and gloom stories.
Entrepreneurs know where to find the good stuff - because they're creating it. Find a problem people have and use your favorite skills to solve it. That's your work.
AND - Begin with the end in mind. Don't die with regret about the things you could a, should a, wish you'd done. I know lots of people who are now in graveyards who died with regret on their lips.
Read a book like, The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying. It will tell you what not to do. I'll summarize the regrets here for you: 1] I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me 2] I wish I hadn't worked so hard 3] I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings 4] I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends 5] I wish I had let myself be happier.
The best way to challenge and stretch yourself [ that's what creates engagement at work ] is to start your own business. If you can do this while in high school - so much the better. You can also do this on the side while you have a job that pays the bills.
I could go on - but I won't. Hope this helps. And, remember...the clock is ticking... you're not going to live forever - but it will feel like it if you spend all day clock watching or waiting for the weekend - all the while thinking to yourself, "stab me with a fork, I'm done." I've been there. Left it behind. Found happiness. I wish that for you - but sooner!
Post a Comment