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Do you remember when your desire for success began? How far
back does it go? You may know it as that little voice in your
head that chants, "be somebody special." For a lack
of a better word for this inner calling, let's call it "career."
As we set out on our own, we learn from the world that's important
to have a career. Whether we choose it or fall into it, we sense
that deep down our career path ought to be special. Quite often
we ask ourselves, what does it take to have an exceptional career?
In exploring this question I talked with a lot of people. The
following is a synopsis of a recent reality check on what human
beings really want in a career.
Researchers find that 70 percent of 120 million working Americans
feel a haunting angst when they report to the job. They'd rather
be somewhere else. To get my arms around this daunting statistic,
I conducted one-hour interviews over the last year with 250 clients
from all over the country, across most professions, who are looking
for a fulfilling career path. I asked them questions about their
desires and aspirations to get a sense of what people are searching
for in a career. In response to the question "What's missing
in your work," their answers were profoundly similar--I
want more meaning in my work; I want to do work that matters
to people and the world; I want to be passionate and love what
I do.
Digging deeper I asked, "Why did you choose your current
profession?" Most said, I never really chose it--I kind of
fell into it; it fit my parent's definition of success; it guaranteed
security and success; it was most practical way to achieve success;
it would make me look successful to others. Can you guess the
most common response to the question, "How much of your
need to change is financial?" Nearly everyone said their
change had little to do with making more money, their main reason
for changing was to be more fulfilled in their work. Hmmm, this
is ironic. These answers came from a pool of well paid professionals
who got exactly what they set out to get--success in terms of
money, security, prestige, and social acceptance. Clearly, this
was not enough. Yet, few could pinpoint exactly what they did
want. Most have tried, more than once, to remedy their career situation.
Striving for successfulness, they set out to get more of something--skills
and education, promotions, and all the extras. Fulfillment still
seemed fleeting to them. In their voices I heard yearns, dismay,
and genuine hope. What else can I do? Something is missing, but
I don't know what it is. Is this all there is? What I found in
this experiment is a simple revelation. These seekers are living
by a narrow, one-dimensional philosophy of a "career."
Success was defined largely in terms of the "end result"
it brings. Most were discontent with their daily reality--the
rigorous "practice" of their profession.
We learn while growing up that it's valued and cool to have
an important career "title" associated with our name.
Mostly, we view "career" as a noun. Usually, without
much thought for the long-term, we set out to have a successful
reputation-doctor, lawyer, and engineer. Is it as simple as going
to school and landing a job? In a label, we think of ourselves
as professionals. One stop at the career convenience store, there
we are, a certified noun! As we venture out into the world, we
practice and try out the noun that we've attached to ourselves.
Moving and shaking, we're looking for that magical experience--the
perfect job. At some level we're hoping that our noun fits who
we really are. I am a Doctor, but am I a healer? I am a programmer,
but am I a problem solver? I am an engineer, but do I love to
build? We hope our choice of noun will pan out.
Recognizing that we easily spend 75 percent of our waking
hours involved in work, it's a major compromise to "go through
the motions" waiting for the five o'clock whistle to blow.
The career "noun" by itself doesn't bring happiness
to the office cubicle. For most people, the symptoms of having
a poor fitting noun quickly begin to erode their well being.
People experience boredom, burnout, cynicism, resentment, anxiety,
and feel like they are leading two separate lifestyles. Work
becomes drudgery and getting up in the morning becomes more and
more painful. To alleviate the suffering people usually take
the path of least resistance, jumping from one frying pan into
another. Job hoping and collecting master's degrees become a
magic pill to give a sense of self-control and a feeling of moving
forward. Once labeled as a specific noun, it seems like you are
trapped in a sentence. Dilbert becomes a reality.
The restless search for success is a phenomenon that largely
stems from our culture's "7-eleven" philosophy of career.
We have "ready-made" expectations. As mentioned above,
many people leap from the local high school into a profession--without
really choosing it. Their commitment was to "having"
success, not to practicing the profession itself. This is much
like going to 7-eleven to buy a frozen pizza. Ready to eat. We
skip the process of making the pizza, missing the "journey"
that the pizza traveled to get there. Who planted the seeds that
grow the wheat to make the flour for the dough? Like a frozen
pizza, we don't know what we are made of. For example, if you
decide to pursue a career in science, take time to ask yourself
what you are committed to. For example, you may ask; "Am
I committed to the day-to-day nitty-gritty of laboratory work, and creative problem solving?
Am I made of what it really takes? Do I really care about this
kind of work?" As Margaret Young revealed, "Often people
attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more
things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want
so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is in
reverse. You must be who you are, then do what you need to do
in order to have what you want."
Having a successful career is much like making the pizza from
scratch, it takes time, careful planning, choosing the ingredients,
nurturing the soil, lots of sunlight and water, and the farmers
love. Little by little the plants grow to bear their fruit, and
we make our pizza. We get to know what we are made of. Knowing
our ingredients better prepares us for the oven, the real world,
to try ourselves out. Being fulfilled in your work begins with
a shift in career language, from the noun form-having a career,
to the verb form-being your career. To make your own way is to
"be your career." Put another way, career is your way
of practicing who you are. Career is a verb: You-being yourself,
doing what you cannot help but do. You are a verb. This kind
of career is notably obvious in great jazz musicians. In their
performance it seems like the music is just flowing out them.
They exude music. Charles Mingus wrote, "In my music, I'm
trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it's difficult
is because I'm changing all the time."
When career is a verb, success is built in. Nothing extra
is needed to feel successful. Michael Jordan's basketball career
is a perfect example. When he signed with the Chicago Bulls in
1984 they wanted him to sign a clause that said he could not
play basketball in the off season without permission from the
team. The team had the right to end his contract if he got hurt.
He would not sign unless they added an addendum to the clause:
freedom to play "for the love of the game." He could
not live without practicing when he wanted to--he was committed
to the actual "playing" of the sport-the season games
were icing on the cake. Michael Jordan spent most of his life
mastering his profession. His career began in the moment of commitment
to playing the game. Every day, well before he made it big, he
was practicing the verb that he is. It takes lots of time and special care to be masterful. Fulfillment
comes naturally if you enjoy the day-in and day-out process of
mastering your art. With the right amount of nurturing, over
time your fruit begins to show. Success comes with this process
of getting to know what verb you are and enjoying the journey
of practicing it. Finding your way, little by little, from scratch.
In this light, your career is every step you take once you commit
to being the verb that you are. From the moment you declare-
"for the love of the game"--you and your career become
one. If you commit to giving yourself, that is, if you promise
yourself to exercise the unique gift that you are, most likely,
you'll be a success. The kind that makes your heart full. You
are a verb to be reckoned with. What verb are you?
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