The number 1 thing to change in 2023 if you want a more fulfilling career
At Empowered Achievers, we talk a lot about career fulfillment. Teaching people how to build happier, more aligned careers “for them” is our entire focus! That’s why today we’ll be digging into the top thing you need to quit doing in 2023 if you want lasting happiness. Ready?...
If you want the kind of fulfillment that lasts, the most important thing you need to do is give up the “dream job” approach to careers. Because real talk: this approach is completely broken. Let me tell you why.
When it comes to clarity in your career about what would make you happier, most people think they need to look for a dream job. You know, that one job that’s your perfect match and will make you happy forever? Consider this the equivalent of a career soulmate.
Here’s the problem though: dream jobs don’t work! In my last 6 years in business, I’ve grown to despise this approach, and I actively work to teach my clients about the alternative.
That’s because there are 4 main problems that I typically see happen as a result of “dream job thinking”.
Taking this approach puts WAY too much pressure on you to uncover “your thing”.
If you assume that there’s 1 perfect job and all you need to do is uncover it, you’re setting yourself up for so much stress! Think about how daunting it becomes to uncover that perfect thing… This is an express ticket to analysis paralysis, if you ask me.This approach assumes that there IS one job that would make you happy for the rest of your life.
Assuming that 1 job will be your match now and forever is kind of depressing when you think about it. While it sounds like a nice security blanket to find “answers”, can you also see how this is a bit of a prison of your own making? People are complex and often change over time. The dream job approach doesn’t take that into account, and makes you set your “now and forever” path in stone. How restricting!If you do decide on a dream job, you might put metaphorical blinders on and bypass other great opportunities.
You might miss something else great because you’re so hell bent on accomplishing your dream.Last but not least, if you settle on a dream job, you might ignore concerns about it until it’s too late.
Last but certainly not least, this issue is the scariest one in my opinion! That’s because for most folks I see who pick a dream job, they end up here. It happened to me, and I’ve seen it happen many more times with EA Alums. People pick their “dream job”, work diligently to accomplish it, and only when they “get there” do they realize that their dream job wasn’t actually their dream. Yikes…
Cue the existential crisis!
The reason this happens is because people become so dedicated to their selected dream job that they fail to listen to the hesitations they have over time. Maybe it feels like a little whisper in the back of their head, saying “are you sure this is really what you want to do?”. Other times it feels like a flashing red light. Either way, they often opt to ignore the concerns, because shoving them down feels like an easier approach than dealing with them.
Is anyone here guilty of that?!
I could happily talk more about those 4 issues, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll spare you. In summary, these 4 reasons are why I hate the dream jobs approach to careers.
There’s not 1 job that will be your perfect match. There’s not a secret math equation you need to solve to find “your thing”. That’s not how careers work.
What you need instead is a North Star approach. That’s how you find lasting change and true fulfillment. Because a North Star approach flexes with you, instead of breaking over time.
If you want to learn more about a career North Star, you can head here to snag a seat for my free workshop. It not only talks about why a North Star career approach is significantly better than a dream job approach, but it also takes you through the exact process I’ve taken every one of my clients through over these last 6 years. So if you’re looking for clarity and career fulfillment that lasts, join us for “The 3 Steps to Building a Lifelong Aligned and Fulfilling Career”. I can’t wait to see you in there!
To ditching the hunt for your dream job,
