For most of my professional life, I have witnessed much love & hate for the ‘career shift’ decision. From people advising for it, even offering services & education to help one make that ‘life-changing mid career shift’ to the clan of downright ’who makes that kind of a decision!’
And I wondered, when, and if, I will be at that juncture in my life. Will I be ‘bold enough’ to make that leap or will I take refuge behind the comfort of ‘tried & tested, the old yet familiar’? While it never came up as something I actively toyed with, but the thought lingered somewhere in the back alleys of the mind.
As I look back at my journey so far, I think I have made my peace with the seemingly perplexing dichotomy.
Gather your experiences – wins and losses and whatever else one may have accumulated on the way. From that heap will emerge the sense of what drives you, what keeps you together, what defines you – the core of what you enjoy the most!
Some might call it purpose – I see it as what gets you out of bed and energised every day.
The issues of what industry, what function, or the ‘What’s’ of your professional journey don’t matter thereafter.
It is the ‘Why and the How’ of whatever it is you do.
Align yourself to that & revel in its life affirming power.
You will sweat; and toil too. But you will do it with love for ‘Why’ you do it, and strive to reach higher in the ‘How’ of doing it.
And then there is no ‘career shift’ – just a journey where one keeps reinventing oneself with every opportunity – while finding ones anchor in ones own ‘Why’!
For me – I believe I love to learn, to drive myself to create & deliver value, to apply myself to solve newer challenges, and most importantly, to build relationships on the way.
Jobs will come and go, careers will shift and mould – the bonds of learning and creating will endure. And one day we can all look back and say ‘ What an experience that was!’
‘ If love of flying be the Why of a bird, does it matter if it is flying for food or for pleasure? Just fly anyway!’
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