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I’ve never been 100% sure how I feel about the concept of soulmates.
Although the Pride-and-Prejudice-loving side of me wants to believe that we each have one specific soulmate who’s our perfect match, I can’t fully buy into the idea.
Now, don’t get me wrong … I wholeheartedly believe in soul connections.
We’ve all experienced that phenomenon when you meet someone for the first time and you instantly click. It feels like you’ve known them forever, there’s no awkward small talk (shudder), and you find yourself revealing your deepest beliefs in the first 15 minutes.
Sometimes, you just intuitively know that someone is right for you, whether it’s as a friend, romantic partner, business connection, etc.
And the great part about soul connections is that there’s no limit on how many you can have! Hopefully you have many people in your life who you feel deeply, soulfully connected to.
The part about soulmates that I can’t fully get behind is the belief that there’s only one person in the entire worldwho is your “other half,” and you’ll never be completely happy if you don’t find that person.
That’s a lot of pressure!
And it’s the same level of pressure that we put on ourselves to pick the exact right career. It’s setting you up for failure.
Here’s what I’ve come to believe:
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A “CAREER SOULMATE”
Thinking that there’s one, perfect, soulmate career for you (if only you could just figure it out!) is extremely limiting. It’s a recipe for disappointment, over-analysis, extreme doubt, and “grass is greener” syndrome.
What I do believe, however, is that … just like in relationships, you may feel a soul connection with several different career paths.
The point here is not to find the “perfect” profession for you.
Think about it: If you decide, “My passion is photography,” then you never get to express your passion unless you’re taking pictures.
However, if you determine that you’re passionate about creativity, independence, beauty, and capturing emotion through visual art, then you open up all sorts of options and possibilities to express your passion. Maybe for now you’re most attracted to photography, but that may evolve into graphic design, oil painting, interior design, or teaching art.
The beauty of releasing your belief in a “career soulmate” is that you give yourself permission to change your mind. In the same way that some relationships flow in and out of your life, the way your career shows up will very likely change over time, too.
It’s simply evolution, and it’s healthy and very normal.
WHAT FINDING YOUR PASSION IS REALLY ABOUT
Figuring out your passion is not some lightbulb moment when all of a sudden, “aha!” you discover your dream job, and then you simply do that forever and ever amen.
Instead, it’s about getting to know yourself on a deeper level, seeking out a few good career options that align with those parts of yourself, and then choosing one that feels like a good fit … for now.
It’s a process of getting incredibly clear on your…
Values
Do you value autonomyor do you prefer connection? Do you feel better with predictabilityor do you like the possibilities that come with a little bit of risk? Do you value expertiseor do you crave variety?
Strengths
What are some things that come naturally to you? Creative thinking? Building relationships? Thinking analytically? Solving problems? Keeping things organized? Writing? Presenting? Teaching? Getting along well with others? (Note: Only include the strengths that you actually enjoy doing. If you’re good at something but you hate it, what’s the point?)
Desires
How do you want your work to make you feel? Inspired? Alive? Connected? Proud? Impactful? Like you’re learning, growing, and expanding? Like you have freedom over your time and projects? Like you’re a part of something bigger that you believe in?
Non-negotiables
What are some of your deal breakers? Do you not want to commute more than 30 minutes each way? Do you want a certain amount of vacation time? Do you need flexible working hours? Will you not tolerate a micro-managing boss? Getting clear on your non-negotiables from the start means you’re less likely to resent your job later on.
Once you’re clear on all of those aspects within yourself, then finding a great job (probably one of many equally great jobs) that you feel soulfully connected to right now becomes a natural byproduct.
(Note: Taking the Passion Profile Quiz and reading through your result will give you a ton of insight into each of these categories. And if you want even more guidance on how to apply these to your career, that’s what the Passion Profile Short Course is for.)
IT’S TIME TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF OF YOURSELF
Not only are most of us putting immense pressure on ourselves to find our career soulmate, but then we expect to figure it out on the first try. And when it doesn’t work out the first time, then we heap on even more pressure to get it right next time … or else we consider ourselves to be repeat-failures.
That’s exhausting!
Can we all agree that putting pressure on ourselves to always have the “right” answer and make perfect decisions feels crappy and never works anyway?
I think it’s time that we all let go of our belief in career soulmates, give ourselves permission to explore our options and desires without judgment, and be open to soul connections in all forms.
What do you say? Are you willing to give up on the concept of a career soulmate? Share your thoughts with me, in the comments!
Much Love,
Kristen (& Rachel)
GET IT WHILE THE GETTIN’S GOOD
Imagine this: You’ve been asked to cook a dish you’ve never made, and you’ve got two choices. The first is to shrug your shoulders, guess at the ingredients and the steps, and hope your dish comes out well.
The second is to follow a recipe and know your dish is a winner. It’s a no brainer, right? Why would you suffer through guesswork when you could just as easily be certain?
So … if you wouldn’t guess your way through making a meal, why in the world would you do it with something as important as your career?
The Passion Profile Short Course is like a recipe for your career path. It’s the “secret sauce” that takes the thought out of trying to plot your career direction and prevents you from wasting years of your life hopping from job to job, hoping that you eventually stumble across something you love.
If your career has you feeling stuck, confused, and overwhelmed, and if you’re starting to wonder if you might be “broken,” then the PPSC is the perfect place for you to start your new career journey.
You can get unstuck, feel confident that you’re on the right track, and build the foundation you need to have a thriving career and life — in as little as one day.
The PPSC might be right for you if:
- You’re looking for a way to get un-stuck that doesn’t involve a lot of time, money, or complication (it’s a 5-ish hour, video-based DIY course with workbook prompts).
- You’ve been hoping for a simple answer to this whole “finding career direction” thing.
- You don’t know where to start and wish someone would tell you what to do about your career situation.
- You loved your Passion Profile Quiz result and want your life to actually align with what you read.
Need more details? Check out the PPSC page to see whether this is right for you.
