If you’re wondering how to choose a career, you first need a vision for your life.
What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about money? In all likelihood, your current job is a far cry from what you would like to do. But it’s equally likely that there’s a job out there that more closely resembles your vision.
This should be the starting point for your career reinvention.
Your career is an important tool in developing the life you want to live. For example, if you have two young children you want to spend more time with, then a research position that forces you to stay in the Antarctic for half a year probably isn’t for you.
If you want to reinvent your career, you need to closely examine how you want to live. One good way to figure this out is through an exercise in which you imagine your ideal working day in as much detail as possible:
Do you wake up at the crack of dawn? Is your office at home, or somewhere downtown? What does your office look like? Are you a lone wolf, or do you work with a team?
Continue with these questions until you’ve fleshed out your ideal working day from beginning to end. Dare to dream big. Your ideal working day should really resonate with you.
However, though you should dream big, you shouldn’t let your vision become infected by myths and fantasies. In other words, don’t pursue impossible dreams. Instead, inform yourself as much as possible so you can make a smart decision.
For example, if your dream is to travel and see the world, you might want to become a pilot. But while pilots do indeed travel and see lots of places, they often arrive at each destination exhausted, and have to use their short stay to rest for the next flight.
How to choose a career can be daunting, but staying true to your vision and not being afraid to dream big can set you up with an ideal job in your future.