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Every Sunday I bring you an article, an interesting quote that has been on my mind, and a journal prompt, all related to working and living better.
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Stories You Tell: Your Secret Weapon To Crafting An Amazing Career
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Today, I’d like to share a compelling revelation that might change how you view the journey of your career.
Think for a moment: Are you truly the master of your decisions?
There is a popular phenomenon in psychology called ‘confirmation bias’. The gist of this bias is that we all seek information that confirms our beliefs and decisions. We discard (or outright ignore) any information that contradicts this view.
This might sound a disconcerting at first. It presents an intriguing opportunity to intentionally engineer an exceptional career. Since you are the author of your story, you may as well make it a hell of an interesting one!
Your mind is like a fertile soil – it’s inclined to grow whatever seeds you plant in it, consciously or otherwise. Plant seeds that align with the type of career you dream of having. Nourish those seeds through your attention, intentions, goals, and mindset. That is how you unlock the door to a career that fulfills you and perfectly fits your desired lifestyle.
This is not some woo-woo nonsense about imagining your way to success. You still need to do the work. It is not magic.
Instead, it’s about recognizing your strengths and talents, being aware of your dreams and committing to living them. It is about channeling those elements into a compelling narrative that propels you forward. You have all the power required to craft yourself a career you love, one that isn’t prone to burning you out. You don’t burn yourself out when you are having fun. Burnout is an unambiguous message from your soul that you are living out of alignment with whom you truly are. You can choose to ignore this message, but only for a short time.
Begin by identifying what you truly desire from your career. Dream big, without worrying about the “how”. What is it you want from your career? Not what others want. Not what will make you more money. Get specific about how you want to be spending your time. Who will you work with? What will you be spending your time doing? How will this be contributing to making things better for people?
Once you know what you want, you are way ahead of most people. Very few people know what they want from their jobs.
Having this clarity, you now can start figuring out what you need to live and work more in alignment with this vision. And you act in that way. You “fake it until you make it”, taking on one new way of working that is closer to the vision.
By embracing this approach, you are forming a new identity, which is what successful change is all about. You become a new person by doing different things repeatedly; it really is that simple. Put yourself into environments and situations that appreciate and reward your unique skill set. Take on work that grants you some autonomy and creative control. Remember, you don’t need to ask permission to do so. Just start contributing. By adding value, you will welcome more and more opportunities to apply your skills.
Let’s reframe confirmation bias. It isn’t a bug, but a feature. It is a potent tool at your disposal – you just need to know how to wield it.
Crafting a career that is perfect for you is about creating the right story, and one that I am skilled in helping people achieve.
Quotation that I have been pondering
Best-selling author James Clear has a quote that sums up the essence of this week’s newsletter topic.
There are two ways of living:
- Constantly reacting to circumstances that arise. Life happens “to you”.
- Intentionally shape your environment and experiences. Life happens “for you”.
Living the first way is the default for most people. But the second way is the path to a career and life you love.
Journal Prompt
The idea of “gifts” is on my mind. Maybe it is because it is because I recently bought a Father’s Day gift for my dad. Or maybe it is because I am currently visiting Quebec City as part of my birthday celebration, thanks to my amazing wife Janique. Thinking about gifts led to me wondering why we don’t give gifts to ourselves. Instead, our tendency is to do the reverse; to be hard on ourselves and beat ourselves up. To feel that we came up short of expectations. At least that is true for me.
That made me think about what I might gift myself – and this week’s journal prompt.
It doesn’t need to be expensive; the best gifts usually aren’t. You don’t need a special occasion to treat yourself well. Know that you are indeed worth it.
