Deep Thoughts: Fighting the Doubt in our Career Choices
A conversation I had yesterday raised questions of doubt in my career choices and left a soured taste in my mouth. I had chosen to work at a start-up adamantly explaining to everyone raising concerns that I know what I am doing. But do I? Do I really want to work where I earn so little in comparison to what I could be earning someplace else? Do I have to really continue to swelter in hellish traffic while I commute the long distance to my place of work? Wouldn’t it be better if I just quit? Don’t I have promising opportunities out there? My folks and friends and all concerned individuals seem to think I do, so also is a lonely cautious thought at the back of my mind telling me same. So why then am I stuck on staying on this job?
The answer defines who I am and what I value. I cannot leave any place without rendering significant value that shows that I am a Light. An impact is something I stand for and consistently seek to achieve. It tears me apart from deep within when I feel like I have done nothing on leaving any place. This is why I am bound to stay at my job regardless of the circumstances because I see ways I can make an impact and all I have to do is pursue it.
The advent of this answer should have given my heart peace, however, I found myself wallowing in ideas that quite oppose the very same ideals I stand for. Reason being that the sacrifices I have to make in my pursuit of impact seem overwhelming and it would be so sweet to become nonchalant, lazy and go with the flow of life. Why should I really kill myself to work for someone? Really why should I? But before I could sink deeper into this abyss of discontent, two thoughts permeated themselves into my consciousness
- Whatever I do I do it unto God
- In whatsoever I find myself doing I must do it excellently well
These were promises I made to myself a long time ago to drive me in whatever I am doing so I could meet the demands of a successful future. And I have to say, waking up this morning, the motivation was roused once more for me to go to work early and do what I am supposed to do with all alacrity. I daresay that, there will still be times when doubt will visit me but again just like I did this week, I would look beyond the present and focus on the demands of the future with those same words encouraging me. To round up my musings, I came across a comment on Fortune by Piraye Yurttas Beim, CEO of Celmatix; which boosted my enthusiasm to work and I modified it to suit my reasoning before adding it to my repertoire.
“Make every week count. If you can’t explain every week how you have materially moved forward, you won’t succeed as a visionary”
I know I am not the only one out there that get visited with doubtful and woeful thoughts concerning our jobs. So whenever it happens, remember this write up and be motivated to do all you can do excellently well, not for your boss, not for your colleagues, family or the people around you but for God who has planned a wondrous future for you to work towards. Let’s do this again next week.
Jaa Mata!