Finding Passion and Purpose in Your Career

Nancy Anderson
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A career is not all about money, although money is one of the main reasons why it's important to keep a stable job throughout your professional life. Discover some ways to find passion and purpose in your career while still making money doing what you love.

Find Satisfaction

Yes, money is important. However, you should also strive to be happy. A successful career is valuable, not only for dollar amounts, but also because it can enrich your overall life. Do you enjoy your chosen career path?

Keep in mind that a career is more than just a single job. You might have to work a few jobs you do not like to reach a better stage in your professional life. The mundane jobs can still teach you valuable lessons about how to move about your career.

Put the Process Before the Outcome

Try to think less about the outcome of a choice and more about the process behind it. This way, you live more in the moment and acknowledge that a particular point in your career exists for a reason. Once you find that reason, you'll learn to appreciate your current circumstances a bit more and then work to improve your career prospects.

Handle Transitions

When you reach a transitory stage in your professional life, ask yourself an important question. Does the transition align with your purpose and goals, or do you need to do something different?

Take an honest assessment of your current situation. Decide how to move forward based on your goals, aspirations and passions. Figure out what's not working in your current job, and discover a solution that aligns with your overall career goals. Taking an honest look at your career helps you manage transitions better so they are less abrupt and less stressful.

Keep a Record

Keep detailed records of your career moves and important decisions. Note how you came about making these decisions. This lets you identify your motivating factors, which might include your passion and purpose. You can always refer back to your journal later. If you write your journal on a computer, you can search files for keywords to give you insights as to what you might have been thinking at a particular stage in your life. Writing things down is a great way to examine what's happening and identify how to solve a problem, move to the next stage and take a closer look as to what motivates you to get up every morning.

Your career is more than the sum of your collective jobs. It should reflect your personality, drive, determination and purpose. Once you identify how you want to move through your professional life, you can take targeted steps to enjoy yourself while also enjoying a vibrant career.


Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Julie G thanks for your comment. You can delete your account at any time. To do so, logon to your account. Click on the down arrow next to the photo holder at the upper right. Click on account settings. There you can click on Delete account and confirm. Hope that helps.

  • JULIE G.
    JULIE G.

    How do I remove myself from this list. The emails are pissing me off.

  • Angie H.
    Angie H.

    Great common sense and sensible advice. Thanks for the refresher!!

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