Planning is for Wimps
When I was young, life was far less complicated. I remember the comfort of having things laid out for me in a pre-determined path. I knew that if I went to school, paid attention and did my homework, I’d get good marks and hence a good grade at the end of the semester. That made sense—X + Y = Z.
Then college happened. I went in with a plan to be a middle school teacher and stumbled through several majors until I finally graduated with a BA in English. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I figured why not study the only academic discipline that I’ve been familiar with my entire life?
That’s where things got even muddier. I floundered, career wise, for several years until I fell into Human Resources. It was never something I set out to do. I actually didn't even understand what it was until I was working in it for several months. Hell, after 18 years, lots of classes and a professional certification, I wonder if I fully know what it is, and if HR departments are even necessary. HR was plopped into my lap and I just went with it.
Without really trying, I grew a career out of a job that I fell into haphazardly. I find people fascinating, so it’s not like I've hated my work, but once you start down a path, it’s difficult to change course. Actually, it’s impossible to change without a strong desire or plan to try something different. With nothing about my career being well thought out, I just took positions that I was qualified for and seemed to fit well with my schedule.
Eventually, I ended up in recruiting. I loved helping people grow and gain experience in their careers, so facilitating that full-time seemed like the right role. Yet, the more time I spent in talent acquisition (what a pretentious way of saying hiring?), the more disillusioned I felt towards placing people into jobs that I was fairly certain they weren’t going to enjoy. I realized I was assisting people with joining the rat race. I had evolved into a corporate shill.
Over the last few months, through series of unfortunate events that have led me to not having a traditional job, I’ve come to realize that it’s high time I evaluate who I want to be. How am I doing that, you ask? I’m trying my hand at professional storytelling, both through Midlife Pickle and my collaboration with David Wecker and BrandFlick. I’m reading a lot, speaking with a lot of people about their professions and journaling about what I loved and hated in past roles. I’m also studying how to become a better salesperson, so I land more BrandFlick projects and get some freelance gigs.
One thing is for certain. If I ever decide to go back to the corporate world, it will be with a well-vetted company and only for a position where I’ll have autonomy and flexibility. Everyone deserves to be respected and their talents and contributions be appreciated in the workplace, but finding organizations that actually accomplish those things is an ambitious undertaking.
Ultimately, my future career planning will be similar to my past career planning in that I don’t intend to do it. The only difference is that this time it will be deliberate. This time, I will take things as they come, taking on projects with every ounce of enthusiasm I can muster. This time, I will only consider opportunities that will offer growth, both personally and professionally. This time, I will do things on my terms instead of theirs. Besides, planning is for wimps.
I’d love to hear from you. Do you enjoy your work? Or do you tolerate it because you need the paycheck? Did you end up in a career that you planned when you were younger? If so, is it what you expected? If you could pursue any profession, what would it be and why aren't you doing it now?
