The Price You Pay for Being in the Wrong Career

When we are in the right job, life is a lot easier because we are playing to our strengths. It doesn’t mean we won’t work hard or that we won’t have challenges, but work and life will be a lot simpler, more straightforward and more enjoyable. Like a monkey climbing a tree (natural) – rather than a goldfish climbing a tree. As the picture alludes, everyone is a genius but only when you are in the right place. Being unsuited to your current career has a number of consequences too.

1 The loss of confidence

When you are in the right place you shine, your abilities and talents are obvious, you tend to get more praise and compliments – so it becomes a constant feedback loop of positivity. Not so for the people who are in the wrong place – they won’t be using their best skills and abilities, so are less likely to get the same recognition. This lack of positive feedback has a cost. One of my clients told me she had struggled with her confidence for years when she was in the wrong career. Once she was in a job she was more suited to, she quickly got a lot more admiration and commendations and her confidence quickly improved.

2 The loss of fulfilment

If you are not using your talents and abilities, it becomes a source of dissatisfaction and frustration. This in turn creates a negativity loop leading to a loss of happiness and fulfilment – when you are not doing that thing where you feel amazing, and not only where you feel amazing – where you are amazing and where you can perform as the best version of yourself.

3 The inability to be generous

When you are in the wrong career or job, it can be exhausting and draining. One client compared doing her current job to using her left hand all day long (she’s right-handed) She wasn’t fit for anything but collapsing in the evenings. When you are in the right career life is more effortless, there is ease and flow. You have more time and energy to be generous and help others. And as with the law of attraction, what you put out comes back, having more energy to give out means more will return.

4 The loss of reputation and opportunity

The loss of the reputation that you would have been building if you had been in the right career. When you are in the right place it’s a lot easier to stand out and attract opportunity. And when you are in the wrong place there is an opportunity cost, sometimes you might not even know what it is until later in life. E.g. One of my clients changed career and became a public speaker, and got a whole pile of compliments and opportunities as soon as she started…

Starting from today what can you do – to get into the right career? It’s about making that decision to not delay your happiness and do the thing you’ve always dreamed of. And getting the support you need.

If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do? And if you are not sure what your next steps are, get in touch so you can gain clarity about what to do next through career coaching.

'Elizabeth has been a huge to help me over the last few months. I had gone through an extreme change in my life and had no direction. Beth helped me to rediscover what was great about myself and made me see my potential moving forward in a new career path. She has truly helped shape my future for the better' Rebecca Duckett