Your Career Vision: What Would "Everyone" Want to Do?
Rebecca Fraser-Thill, ACC, MCPC
Career Design & Leadership Coach, ICF-Certified * Forbes Senior Contributor * Enamored with Developmental Psychology, Design Thinking & Futures Thinking * Mainer by choice, not chance!
What do you think everyone would want to do, if only they could? What kind of work? In what kind of environment? At what time of day? Under what circumstances?
Answering this series of questions can provide you with the single greatest insight into your own preferences - and also into your fears.
About a decade ago, I leaned over a paper placemat at Friendly’s and answered a friend’s query about the sort of working life I’d love to have: based at home full-time with no boss, no “team” to have to collaborate with, making my own schedule - which likely would look like working from 6am to 10am, having the middle of the day off, and then going back to work in the evening - writing articles and books that simultaneously self-express while helping others.
I followed up my description with, “But who wouldn’t want that?”
My friend stared at me, then lifted an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t. And I honestly don’t know anyone who would.”
This took me by complete surprise. So I then launched into grilling her about what did *not* sound good to her about my vision for my ideal work lifestyle, then spent days (weeks? months?) wondering if I was a horribly strange person.
Before that day, I honestly believed that I was fantasizing about a working lifestyle that “everyone” would want. In fact, I believed that so many people wanted it, I might not be able to get it because “it” was already taken (as if such a thing could be true).
Furthermore, I hadn’t articulated my vision for years on end because I’d taken it as such a given - as something that was so obvious that it need not be spoken. Who doesn’t want to be their own boss? Who doesn’t want to work in their pajamas? Who doesn’t want to spend hours not having to talk to anyone?
Lots of people, I now realize...
Head of Brand Development @ Recon Pillar | Industrial Design-Trained Strategist
6 年You had me at "simultaneously self-express while helping others." Brilliant observations and helpful articulation, as always.
Product Management | Roadmaps | Project Initiation to Launch | Life Cycle Management | Business Cases | Sales Enablement | Healthcare | Scientific Solutions
8 年I enjoyed your post. I think most people naturally gravitate to jobs with their "ideal work lifestyle" whether they actively think about it or not. For me, for example, variety is important at work and this is why I think I chose Product Management as a career.
Director, Center for Purposeful Work at Bates College
8 年Rebecca, great article! I love your point about how we each have a unique work/lifestyle preference. The answers come when we dig in, explore, and articulate "how" we want to use our energy each day.
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8 年I enjoyed this post, Rebecca. The ideal you describe might become a reality as more people become their own "boss" and contracting more prevalent. People who have a preference for introversion would find this ideal, but maybe your objecting friend was thinking about the people she'd miss if she were to work from home or a mobile office. I often thought working at a location like Starbucks or some cozy, quiet coffee joint would be cool. The customers who come in to get their java would be my company. Very thought-provoking.