If we each sat and thought about the lives of the people around us and those we know peripherally, there’s a chance that many of us could identify one or two whose lives we might like to step into. The goal in taking this train of thought isn’t to compare your life with theirs and become despondent because you didn’t go to coding boot camp back before it become difficult to get a programming job. The goal is to learn from how those people are living – does any of what they do call to you? Could you see yourself pursuing a similar career, side project, or hobby?
The story behind this exercise comes from a faculty member at NYU Stern School of Business. She was irritated with her son for waffling around in his career decision-making; he just couldn’t get himself to effectively take any of the “practical” career options his parents were excited about. So in a moment of frustration, she asked him: “Whose life do you want anyway??” And he knew the answer immediately! He wanted to be the director of a camp for children. And that’s what he then did. It wasn’t nearly as high-paying as the consulting job he’d lost for lack of initiative, but it filled his need for a strong sense of purpose, allowed him to spend large amounts of time outside, and paid the bills.
Take a moment to reflect: whose life do you want anyway? And how could you make decisions to set yourself up for that life? Come chat with a career counselor about your thoughts; we’d love to help you process and plan!
