What are your career resolutions?
The folks over at U.S. News and World Report recently ran an article entitled “10 Essential Career Resolutions for 2010.” In it, they lay out some advice for “making the most” of your career.
They include tips like “Find a mentor” and “Say ‘thank you’ as often as you can.” There’s also “Look for something new to learn every day,” and “Find a mentor.” It even urges readers to “Rise above the insanity:”
No matter the state of the economy or country, there is always something to worry about or be afraid of. You can join the naysayers and the fear-mongers, or you can refrain from panicking and be the voice of reason. Looking for rational solutions to problems is a much better use of your time than, say, freaking out about them. It also (bonus!) makes you an invaluable member of any organization.
Overall, the list is interesting, but not atypical of the kind of career advice that gets passed out by most people.
The question is, are these tips going to make people happy in their careers?
Hmm … actually, the question is, just what is it that makes people happy in their careers?
Is happiness attained by managing the various aspects of their job, regardless of what that job is? Is it attained by arriving at the right gimmick, strategy or device?
Because we at The Right Mountain don’t think these things are the key to career contentment. Sure, they have their place, but only as a side dish, not the main course.
The real goal is and should always be to know thyself. To learn who you are and what you need to be happy. To nourish your soul by putting yourself in situations that fulfill you. You certainly can’t find happiness by forcing yourself to adjust to a job that’s not right for you.