The two most consequential decisions you'll ever make in your life concern your choice of career and your choice of partner.
Many of us happen to make these decisions in earnest -- at least for the first time -- when we're fairly young and lacking in life experience.
Perhaps we're just out of high school and we decide on law or pre-med as a major while embarking on a new relationship with someone who ostensibly has "long-term potential" written all over them.
As we well know, though, life gives us many different twists and turns, sometimes veering us in directions we never could have imagined.
Events such as these can affect our life trajectory:
- Going away for college
- A death in the family
- A break-up
- Switching jobs or careers
- Layoffs
- Starting a business
- Moving to a new city
- Getting married
- Having kids
- Illness
But there's no doubt that the decisions we make in our professional and love lives figure prominently in our life satisfaction, or lack thereof.
Though we shouldn't beat ourselves up if things don't work out as planned.
As long as we don't behave recklessly, we're acting on the best information we have at the time.
For example, you might meet a woman who seems perfect at first -- so perfect, in fact, that you propose to her six months later.
Then, sadly, you discover over time that the real her is anything but perfect. She was simply putting her best foot forward in the beginning as all other couples do. This teaches you to wait until the relationship matures before taking such a huge, life-altering step.
I think it's unrealistic to expect 18-year-olds to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. In order to find our footing, most of us will have to grapple with trial and error. It may mean switching jobs and majors a few times, but it's worth it if it means being one step closer to achieving career fulfillment.
I took accounting electives in high school and excelled greatly in them, motivating me to follow in my dad's and sister's footsteps and become an accountant.
Once a junior in college, however, I abandoned these plans completely and decided to pursue a career in writing, which was my true passion even as a child.
Because I'd already completed all my business prerequisites, I switched my major to marketing, a field that affords far more opportunities for creative writing. And I've never looked back since.
Most of us have to go through a few relationships and jobs to find the ones that suit us best.
The key isn't to strike gold in your first attempt. It's to learn from any mistakes and experiences -- to use them as stepping stones -- on the path to success.
And remember that we all have varying definitions of what success entails.
For me, it's to publish books. Maybe for you it's being a billionaire investor.
We also measure success differently in our relationships. Some of us want someone who's wealthy, while others desire a partner with whom they connect mentally and emotionally.
No matter what you decide to do, listen to your gut!
People in your sphere -- even well-meaning ones -- will try to impose their own opinions on you. While it doesn't hurt to listen and learn from others' missteps, if doesn't mean you have to study pharmacy just because their kid did and loves it, or date your neighbor because they're convinced you would make the perfect couple.
We depend on our jobs for our livelihoods and on our relationships to enrich our lives, so we should take both decisions very seriously. Don't be afraid to make tough choices -- whether it's to end a flagging 5-year relationship or escape a career you can no longer tolerate -- if it means securing peace of mind.
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