Imagine your life unfolding and your career direction taking shape as an interesting tale with a happy ending. What do you see as the major plot points? Is it a story of knowing your dream job from the time you were 5? Or is it longer and more complicated, filled with exploration and discovery? As you create the story of your life and work, the questions will be answered. You will make choices, open one door and close four others. You will choose a path that will by necessity mean you haven’t chosen other opportunities. You will experience FOMO in a big way as you decide to take that great professional job in the city, and not join your friends traveling and skiing for the next six months, or vice versa.
You stand at the precipice of opportunity and the unknown. At this point, the vastness of your choices can be as overwhelming as it is liberating. But you can’t race to the end of the story, or flip to the back of the book and find out the outcome. You can only face each day as it comes, make a choice, and then another; live and write your life/work story as you breathe and work and approach each moment.
This isn’t an inspiring piece encouraging “carpe diem” or an admonition to work hard or a reminder that the early bird gets the worm. No, this is a suggestion that you approach your next step with a bit of curiosity, as you would a good story. What will the main character do next? What seems to be their central motivation? What are their strengths? Who are their allies that will help them on the journey? What are the turning points in the tale?
Take a moment to consider how you would answer these questions. For inspiration, and a good study break, listen to StoryCorps tales of work, life, and meaning.
We hope your story is a good one.
Kala Gillim
Senior Career Counselor