How do I choose a career that's best for me? - II

STEP 1: Know the difference between your nature and your nurture.You need to work out what comes to you naturally verses what you have been conditioned to think and do. It can be hard to know the difference, because significant others like our parents, teachers and mentors have such an influence on our thinking, that it can be difficult to separate our own thinking from theirs. If the well-intentioned advice we’ve been given does not align to our nature (our innate strengths, propensities and inclinations), then this can cause a major conflict in our mind and create confusion. So, before you make a decision about your career, make a solid list of all your strengths, skills, gifts and talents and be sure to ask people who know you well to contribute to it. You might be pleasantly surprised with the feedback you’re given..STEP 2: Think about what you enjoy.For many of us, we will work at least 8-12 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. That’s a long time to be doing something you don’t enjoy. The challenge many people face with pursuing their passions, is how to earn an income from doing something they love. When they find it difficult to work out, they simply default to a career that is high paying and don’t necessarily prioritise if it’s a right match for them. My strong advice would be to do what your passionate about, because it won’t even feel like work, but play. When I run my Shape Your Destiny seminar, I say to the participants: “Don’t work for a cheque. Rather, play and get paid.” When you do something you’re naturally good at and enjoy, it feels like play. When you’re playing, you’ll have a positive att attitude, you’ll be willing to work long hours and this will reflect in high quality work. When you are great at what you do, then demand for you will be high and this will reflect in a high income. So it pays to do what you love and love what you do..STEP 3: Entertain an ideal.If you’ve ever suffered from motivation issues, then this is symptomatic of a lack of purpose. Motivation is your motive for action. When you have a purpose that is bigger than you (an ideal), you will experience meaning in your career. Motivation will never be an issue for you because, instead, you will experience inspiration. When you are inspired, this elevates you to a totally different level because you feel that you are doing your life’s work. The bigger the ideal, the higher the goal, the more people that are positively affected, the greater the inspiration. When I travel the world running my career, resilience and leadership programs, I feel a deep sense of meaning, because it helps tens of thousands of people a year live a higher quality of life. The experience of waking up each morning feeling like today what I say might change the life of just one person, fills me with gratitude and inspiration, which drives me to be the best I can be for others. Think about what inspires you, how you want to help others and/or leave a mark in your community. Let this drive you to be a positive contributor and make a difference in the world. If you can, then you must..STEP 4: Get in alignment Passions + Talents + Ideal = Fulfilling FutureWhen you align what you love, with what you’re great at and what inspires you, then this is a recipe for a fulfilling future. This algebraic equation for your career is what I have found has worked for myself and thousands of people around the world and I trust it work well for you too..Darren Pereira, a long time Chyk and CSK, is the Founding Director of Success Integrated. For over 20 years, he has been running educational programmes to build resilience, mental health and help youth choose fulfilling careers. He’s impacted well over 650,000 youth, educators and parents during this time.