Purpose is Freedom! Imagine that feeling of having a spring in your step as you know where you’re going. The purpose is the ‘know where you’re going’ and the freedom is ‘that feeling of having a spring in your step’.
To expand, purpose is that sense of resolve and determination to find career choices good for you. The freedom comes from knowing you are pursuing your career choices. I’m searching for careers that are me! You will face feelings of satisfaction, surprise and frustration. That’s OK, as all these feelings are normal emotions that are there to test and validate your resolve and determination to learn more about your career choices and yourself. The key is to be true to yourself in pursing the career choices that interest you.
I encourage you to start and think about the stuff that interests you. The stuff you do that excites you. Gives you that feeling of ‘Geez that was fun’, ‘Where did the time go!’, ‘Hey, I think I could do this as a job’, ‘I wonder what type of jobs are like this’, ‘Dam I am good at doing this’.
To help you make a start I have a few suggestions on finding career choices:
‘Top Down’ approach, where you start at a job that you think is of interest to you and then you research it to find out more. So you may think, I would like to be a Plumber, Scientist, Accountant, Actor, Musician, Engineer or Carpenter. Then you would start to understand what they do day in day out and any qualification requirements. In combination with online searching, you contact businesses that employ people in the jobs that interest you. People are often happy to share their experiences to help others.
‘Down Top’ approach, where you identify a task, activity, project, experience, hobby or interest that you enjoy or have enjoyed doing. Take a minute to think about this and jot down a few ideas. It could be anything from building a table, flying a kite, riding a skateboard, playing chess, taking photos, cleaning a floor, helping a friend, renovating a house or doing a science experiment at school. Then ask ‘why did I enjoy it?’ Then ask what jobs this ‘enjoyment’ could translate into. You know, I enjoyed building a table. I like to build stuff as I get a sense of achievement by physically seeing what I have created. OK, then what jobs require building stuff. A builder.
Finding your career choices is about starting the process and knowing it is a process. It will take a continued effort. Often ideas and thoughts on career choices will come to mind when we least expect it.
So enjoy your journey of discovery in finding your career choices that give you the freedom to be you.