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Let me start by making a bold statement:
I think a huge majority of people feel bored, unfulfilled, and uninspired in their career because they’re trying really hard to do something they’re good at.
And because I just made a semi-crazy statement, I’m going to back it up with a powerful story about one of my clients who’s just now having this realization.
It started back in high school when Abby (nope, definitely not her real name) decided to major in finance when she got to college. It made sense because math was her favorite subject in school, and being good at it came easily to her.
Halfway through college, she realized too late that being a finance major (which was all theory) had very little to do with what she’d enjoyed about high school math (problem solving).
Not just that, but a real-world career in finance looked very different than her 18-year-old self had thought when she picked a major.
SO SHE BOUGHT HERSELF ANOTHER YEAR TO THINK AND WENT TO GRAD SCHOOL.
{Going to grad school in lieu of knowing what else to do is a super common phenomenon, by the way. Whether or not it needs to be normal is a different story, for another day.}
The panic started creeping up, faster and faster, as the end of grad school approached. But at this point, with 5 years and a pile of money invested, there wasn’t much else to do besides study and take the CPA exam.
It’s not like she could rewind and major in something else.
So, freshly minted as a CPA, she started her career in finance.
EVERYTHING SNOWBALLED FROM THERE.
The jobs she had after grad school were underwhelming, to say the least. But way worse was the series of bosses and managers who made her feel like crap.
She tried desperately to do well in her various positions, but she never felt 100% confident in what she was doing. The less confidence she felt, the more mistakes she made, and the more her bosses (being generally crappy and insensitive) rebuked and chastised her.
The loss of confidence has affected everything she does, work-related and otherwise. It’s clouded her judgment, made her feel drained and confused, and on some days has left her too anxious to enjoy her life.
FAST FORWARD TO RIGHT NOW.
Abby bravely asked me last week, “What if I’m the problem? What if no matter where I go, this job or somewhere else, my lack of confidence just follows me around and I can never escape?”
I told her something that I really want you to remember, too:
You were never the problem.
The lack of confidence, the lack of fulfillment, the boredom, the existential crisis (whatever it is you’re experiencing) … it’s not part of who are you. It’s just been with you so long that you’ve forgotten where it came from.
IT CAME FROM ONLY FOCUSING ON WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT.
If you only pursue a career based on what you’re good at, you’re missing half of the point.
Yes, it’s important to be good at your chosen profession, but you should also care about it.
A dream job is the intersection between what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about.
It’s no wonder that Abby lost her confidence … she spent eight years trying to be great at something that she didn’t care about. And while she may have had the technical proficiency to do her jobs, she didn’t have the desire necessary to do a stellar job.
So instead of blaming the problem on where it actually came from {majoring in something that she had no emotional connection to}, she thought, “There must be something wrong with me. I must just lack confidence. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, MY FRIENDS.
Abby’s story {and the whole reason that I share it} is part of an epidemic.
There are millions of people, right now, doing something they’re technically good at, but that doesn’t really light them up … and they’re wondering what’s wrong with them.
I might be the best astrophysicist in the world, but if I don’t care about it … what’s the point? No one wants their rocket scientist half-assing it over at NASA. Or, I could have a fanatic passion for football … but for some pretty blatant reasons I’m probably never going to be an NFL player.
Passion and talent. It’s good to have both working for you.
I’ll tell you all, again, what I told Abby {because she was worried it wasn’t possible}: It’s 100% possible to have a job and life that bring both passion AND talent to the table.
You don’t have to settle for anything less or waste your life doing something you don’t love. And you definitely aren’t the problem.
Abby is now giving herself permission to pursue a job in marketing … she’s good at it and it lights her up when I hear her talk about it. She’s already interviewed with one dream employer and they mentioned creating a position for her. Our fingers are both crossed that it works out smoothly.
And yes, that’s what can happen for anyone who decides to pursue passion and talent.
So what about you? What are good at AND passionate about? We’d love to know in the comments.
Much Love,
Rachel + Kristen
