What do you NOT want in your career?

A former client shared a major shift she went through in her career, which is relevant as many of us assess the past year of the pandemic and what's possible. 

She gave up working in the private sector, took a significant pay cut, and traded a long commute for a short one. She works near her children’s school and has job security. She finally feels like she has balance in her life, and feels happy and grateful.

The most striking part of her message was this:

“Once I figured what I didn't want, ironically everything fell into place.”

This sounds so incredibly obvious but it is something we shy away from in our culture. We’re always talking about desires, needs, wants, and positivity. How about looking at things from another lens?

Yes, there are things you can’t avoid: you need to earn a living. But with the flexibility of options and work increasing, there are more ways than one to do so.

Here are 4 questions to get you started:

• What things am I doing at work each day that I do not enjoy?

• Are there companies and/or industries that I would never want to work for?

• What is the longest commute I'm willing to make? How much am I willing to travel?

• What is the lowest salary I could take and still be able to pay my bills, save, and live the way I'd like?

This will give you insight into what you don’t want, clearing the air to help you focus on finding what you DO want.