You can’t stay at work all day and not have any negative effects on your mental health. Even when relaxing away from the office, thoughts will continue to wander back towards work matters such as repetitive tasks or a terrible environment for advancement in one’s career path; these things may seem mundane but take a toll nonetheless leading to frustration, stress and depression.
Leading a meaningful, fulfilling and lifelong career path is very important for your overall well-being.
Achieving this goal will not only make you happier but also healthier mentally as it gives meaning to one’s work which results in better productivity at home or elsewhere.
The path to finding your true career is not an easy one. There are many factors that come into play when settling on a job, and these days it’s hard enough just trying to make ends meet as it is without adding another layer of financial responsibility.
Considering all these, how do you find your true professional path? Here are 4 steps that you can take to discover the career path that is right for you.
Assess your 4Ps
Your career path should be shaped around your passion, preferences, personality, and principles. Put these four elements into considerations when choosing your professional path.
The best way to make a living and have an enjoyable job is by doing what you love. You will be happier in your work, it will give meaning to life as well as create drive from within. The drive from within along with passion makes one feel motivated rather than motivation being externally sourced like the typical 9–5 grind where people usually end up drained both mentally and physically. Being passionate about what you work for will not feel like work at all.
The type of work environment you enjoy will depend on your preferences. For example, if the outdoors is what really gets you going then consider a career in landscaping while someone who prefers working indoors could find success as an architect. Determine which option makes more sense for you by considering all factors such as full-time vs flexible schedule options; whether it is hands-on experience with tools over computers preferred. This way you will carefully choose what you want to be doing your whole life.
Your personality type and the way you express yourself would also matter in deciding what kind of work is best suited to your needs. If you are a reserved person, it may be hard for introverts like yourself to try working with lots of different people all day long without feeling drained from such activities as socializing too much throughout their shift; so maybe taking up an office job where there’s less interaction outside one’s own cubicle might suit you better.
If you are an extrovert, your energy will be revitalized by being around big groups of people. If creativity is what fuels your creative side, then the prospect of working in more artsy areas might interest you.
Finding the right career path can be tricky, but it’s essential for your life to align with and enhance the principles that help you in living. If social justice is what matters most in people’s lives then human rights organizations might just suit them best as their work environment reflects this principle of theirs perfectly.
You can take personal assessment tests online to discover your 4Ps.
Make a list of your options
Discovering your passion, preferences and personality is the first step to becoming a successful professional. After you’ve done that it’s time for some career exploration. Think about what kind of work environment would suit you best. Then, list down all those jobs which fall under these categories, pick one from each list as long as they align with who you are and how you do.
Find an overlap
It’s a life-changing decision to find your perfect career, so you need to be sure. Narrowing down the field from a long list of careers is just getting started! You have found what interests and excites you- now go out there into this world ready for anything because only then will it feel like home.
To be the best at what you do, consider researching skills and interests that can help. Next, think about if there is demand for this in order to determine if it will provide income through monetization or not.
Being a career-minded person means making money out of work so put into consideration whether your endeavour has any potential before investing time in it. You should also take into consideration that you will need to invest in improving your skills or get certain certificates such as attending an online project management program to become a better project manager. These types of certifications will help you land better positions.
Develop your skills
As you make your final decision on which career path to take, now is the time to assess and develop skills necessary for success. If already working in that line of work or looking at other jobs with potential future employers as opportunities seem promising then use them wisely by taking advantage of any training programs or workshops available like on-the-job learning where possible internship positions can also give insights into what life may be like if one decides this way forward instead attending school full time; plus there will always remain volunteering options too.
If you have a passion for medicine and writing as well, you can choose to become a freelance medical writer. If the medicine is not your field of choice, and you are more interested in becoming an entrepreneur, then you need to think of other ways on how to develop your skills. Is a business degree worth it or can you find other alternatives to acquire the necessary knowledge for this profession? Do your research and find what works best for you. There are all the available possibilities to succeed, you just need to make the decision and work towards the profession of your dreams.
Takeaway
It is true that most people choose a career out of necessity. However, just because bills have to be paid doesn’t mean that you live your life stuck in a career that you don’t like. We are living in an era where we are more aware of the need for good mental health- and that starts with leading your true professional path. Follow the above steps to a land where you truly belong careerwise.
Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. She is interested in mental health and well-being.
