Have you ever questioned whether you are on the right career path? Have you ever wondered if you would have been better off choosing to pursue a different industry, role, or company? For most people, uncertainty is uncomfortable and is to be avoided at all costs. Many people spend their entire lives changing from company to company, or from industry to industry, trying to find the next best opportunity. Instead of always chasing the next best thing, by seeing life through healthy paradigms and maintaining a clear head you should be able to significantly improve your decision-making and your ability to stick with your career of choice.
Below, we will outline four paradigms that have helped many individuals to navigate life decisions and deal with uncertainty. To do this, we will use a concept called rugged landscapes, a common strategy tool in business management. It is a crucial concept to understand when building or running a company, but it is just as important in life.
Life is like a landscape
For a moment, let’s consider life as a three-dimensional landscape: the job market is full of hills and valleys, which represent varying levels of success. The peaks represent wealth and opportunity, while the valleys represent a lack of wealth and opportunity. To reach the top of the hill, you must find a way to provide value that can be compensated. Some peaks are more saturated than others, and some are taller than others. The landscape is constantly shifting with the market.
Paradigm 1: Your fate is determined, but it is not set in stone
You were born to a certain family in a specific city or town with a particular socioeconomic status. To a large extent, your opportunities in life were determined by your environment and the actions of others, including your parents and ancestors. For instance, some of my great-great-great grandparents moved to the Midwestern United States more than a century ago and settled in the Arizona desert, which is why I was born there.
Despite these determinant factors, you can change your circumstances. For example, when I started college, I was interested in political science, but within a year, my friends convinced me to switch to entrepreneurship and consulting. Even though it initially took time to understand the industry and caused discomfort to learn new concepts, the decision to do so has shifted the trajectory of the rest of my life.
Paradigm 2: Your job is an exchange of value, so learn to love it
Since the job market relies on providing value, consistently trading that value, and maintaining current skills, there will always be ups and downs. You may have to do “dirty work” at times, regardless of whether you work in investment banking or human resources. Eventually, as you develop skills and build relationships in your chosen industry, you will become a more valuable asset and can command higher compensation. That is why hard work at the beginning of your career is crucial to being able to build long-term career success and create more value as your career progresses.
Although any job you choose will have its drawbacks, that does not imply it is okay to actively dislike your job. Burnout is much more likely if you are not passionate about your work, even if you are well compensated. The question you must ask is “what am I willing to give up in exchange for the benefits I receive?”
Paradigm 3: Build on strength and passion, find opportunities
It’s impossible to do everything in life with perfection. We all have areas in life where we struggle or are merely competent. In your pursuit of career success you have to decide where to focus your efforts. To do this, start by asking the three sets of questions proposed by Isaiah Berlin in his essay “The Hedgehog and the Fox”:
- What could I be the best in the world at? Do I actually have the potential to be better than others?
- Is there a good economic opportunity? A peak high enough to meet my needs?
- What am I passionate about? Am I willing to focus on, commit to, and sacrifice for this? Could I continue to do this for decades?
The goal is to focus on a career that best matches your answers to these three sets of questions. You do not have to score 100% in all of these categories. For example, I would love to spend my days surfing in Hawaii, but surfing is not a sufficient source of income for my lifestyle goals, and I am not good enough to be paid for it anyway. On the other hand, while investment banking might be a lucrative career, it is not really my cup of tea. I enjoy consulting work much more than investment banking, so consulting answers the third question best.
Paradigm 4: Never fly a 747 on a single engine
People often believe that if they achieve financial success, then happiness and general life success will follow, but this is rarely true. While there is a link between obtaining a minimum subsistence-level income and general life satisfaction, true meaning and happiness in life come down to more than just your bank balance.
While finances are important, focusing primarily on income and wealth accumulation places you at risk of burn out. Trying to fly a 747 across the Atlantic on a single engine would be similarly dangerous. Although a successful career may require long hours in the office, your commitment to the job shouldn’t come at the expense of other things that bring meaning to your life and that have the capacity to energize and sustain you; things such as family, friends, physical fitness, and personal faith.
A final word
Making career decisions can be daunting, but with some basic understanding and a flexible mindset, you can find a path that suits you.
Remember that the job market is like a landscape of hills and valleys, and you have the potential to jump to a higher peak.
Your job may not always be what you want it to be, but finding a balance between what you’re good at, what provides economic opportunity, and what you enjoy can lead to fulfillment and success.
Finally, remember that happiness and fulfilment is not solely tied to money, but rather to setting the right balance between the competing priorities of life.
Wes Brooks is an incoming Summer Business Analyst at Cicero Group and an undergraduate studying economics, management, and strategy. He is a serial entrepreneur, works in venture capital, and enjoys singing a capella and piano improvisation.
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