I’ve found that the more options I have in my life, the more content I am with myself. In order to perform at my best, I need to have a wide range of career options. Having a wider range of options for how to spend my time frees me from the need to rely on others and activities. Simply put, I’m content if I have the freedom to decide how I spend my time at any given moment. No matter what I do, it won’t make a difference. The most important thing is that I have the option of doing something else. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned about happiness in the modern era is the importance of this concept.
Gordon Livingston, a well-known psychiatrist, wrote Too Young, Too Late Smart, which I recently read. In that book, he explained why it’s so crucial to have a variety of choices: “Choice determines one’s level of mental well-being. There is a direct correlation between the number of choices we have and our level of contentment in life. There are many ways in which we limit ourselves when we are sick or discouraged, but the most common is the belief that our choices have been restricted by external circumstances or illness.”
We have fewer options to choose from. This fills us with dread. It’s hard for us to believe that there’s much we can accomplish in this world. As a result, we’re rather unhappy. You can, however, take control of the situation by giving yourself more options.
The Paradox of risk
We must first understand the paradoxical relationship between risk and reward that exists when considering various career paths. I didn’t have a lot of options before accepting this. What’s the problem? When it comes to risk, we’re all naturally wary. We are more afraid of losing something than we are eager to gain something. In most cases, it serves as a powerful anchor to keep us in place. Most people do that until they either get fired or retire from their job or industry. As a result of this paradox, most people believe that making a change is risky. However, the reality is the exact opposite. You’re more likely to lose money if you’re not moving forward.
When I decided to make writing my full-time job, I knew I had to be willing to take chances. When I moved back home to live with my parents after leaving my well-paying job in London, I decided to take a step back from the family business. I went from a salary of about $80,000 a year to practically nothing in a matter of months. In the first year, I earned $5,000 from my blog and online courses. When you make a move like that, you risk wasting your time and losing money.
With this in mind, Livingston understood the importance of embracing risk in order to succeed. Regarding the connection between options and risk, he stated the following: “Tolerance for risk is the most important factor to consider. It’s difficult to choose a life that makes us happy if we listen to our fears, especially our fear of change. Is it fear or a lack of creativity that holds us back? “It’s difficult to accept this. If you don’t overcome your fear of change, you won’t be able to lead a full and rewarding life. No matter how bad things look, you always have other options. There’s always something you can do. There can be no progress in human affairs without this fundamental belief. We have free will as long as we’re breathing.
How I come up with career options
Look at ways you can expand your career options. You need to get this straight because you spend most of your time at work. You become a better person when you have options and happiness in your career. Approximately what percentage of your personal issues are directly linked to your job? Your mood is affected by how much you’re under pressure at work. Moreover, how often does your state of mind lead to issues at home? It’s an understatement to say that your career is important. It’s important to remember that work is more than just a job you go to during predetermined hours. When it comes to macro-level outcomes, it’s the most important factor. Is there any way to ensure a successful career? Not through a high-paying job. If you’ve been raised to believe that everyone must have a single job, this might be a foreign concept to you. An outdated model that doesn’t work anymore. We don’t need a place to work. We need skills that can be used in a variety of industries and jobs. That’s how I go about it, and here’s why. It’s always more important for me to focus on long-term goals than short-term ones like money or status. The more diverse my skill set is, the more options are open to me. Persuasion is a skill that can be used in a variety of ways, including as a copywriter, account executive, stockbroker, recruiter, or employee at a retail store. Coders can work at any company that develops software, in any industry, as long as they can write code
One of the things I focus on is establishing good relationships with experienced individuals. “Mastermind” groups that include people who are not the best at what they do aren’t for me. It’s a blast socially, but you won’t get much out of it professionally. Networking with people who are already established in their careers and don’t have much to prove is a good place to start. If you don’t know what to do, a professional like that can point you in the right direction. They can open your eyes to possibilities you hadn’t previously considered.
Move on unless you’re willing to pay the price.
When I was in my twenties, I was having a conversation about possible career paths with someone. Someone once told me they aspired to be where I am now. Then I told him, Look, I had to give up a lot of things when I was your age in order to be where I am now. I cut back on time spent with friends and on having fun. There is a price to pay for happiness, but I have always been willing to pay it for that happiness. Then and now. “I don’t think I can do that,” the person replied. It’s all over now. After that, I advised her to come to terms with her situation and realise she was always at the mercy of others. In the event that some people are unwilling to pay the price, they should simply accept the current situation and refrain from complaining about it. The reality is that there are always alternatives. We can’t expect them to show up on our doorsteps for nothing. Everything in this world has a price tag attached to it. You won’t be disappointed if you’re willing to pay.
