WHAT IS MY CAREER WOW?
Finding your career WOW begins with knowing your true purpose and passion. Two questions you have likely asked yourself at sometime in your life are… “What is my purpose and passion” and “Where do I begin to find my purpose and passion?” These questions may surface when thinking of college course selection, starting a business, changing careers, reinventing oneself, playing sports, writing a book, composing a song, buying a car, etc. This article is for those who are itching to make a shift or choose a specific direction in life or career and are asking “Where do I begin to find my true WOW?”
It often begins by asking yourself this question…”If I could do anything I wanted, what would that be”. The answer: begin with your WOW. Now you are probably asking, “What is a WOW? A WOW by definition is: a thought or idea that excites, raises one’s energy level, emits an emotional or verbal expression and often seems like something awesome or outside the norm.
The journey to the WOW is not a linear process. Most of us get in a comfortable place and zone out about who we are, what is going on in the world and what we really enjoy doing. We become complacent and buy-in to the fact that this is all there is. Be honest with yourself, you have probably at some time judged those individuals who seem to be shifty in their interests and professions and explore many career avenues. The norm has been to get a job, buy a home with a white picket fence and live within the boundaries of how society has defined happiness and success.
We are at a point in our society, with the collision of boomers, generation X and Z, where many are dramatically shifting their thinking about life and career. The boomers are ready for a new life and the younger generations want to create careers in alignment with what makes their heart sing. Small business is growing as an outcome of that shifting as it appears to gives autonomy and choice at any age. This is why following your WOW is even more critical than ever. You may be asking: what are some ways to find my WOW? Following are four possibilities.
Tips for Finding Your WOW
Explore… Look outside your present comfort zone to begin defining your WOW. Visit or become part of a group, in person or online, that you have interest in. I am a business and career coach with an interest in the arts and, recently, signed up for a songwriting class. With no planned agenda, I followed my heart as the excitement of creating magic with words stirred my artistic passions.
Follow Your Heart… Do not doubt your intuition by allowing your friends or your own self-judgment to get in the way. When I decided to sign up for the songwriting class a friend ask me, “What in the world are you doing that for, it is a waste of your money.” To tell you the truth, I almost withdrew my application after that interaction. Finding your WOW is not about allowing others to make the decision for you. Do whatever you need to do to listen to yourself. Sometimes I flip a coin, pull the petals off a daisy flower or read my daily astrological message. Seriously, though, follow you own initial nudge – you will not be sorry. (Something great is always an outcome).
Develop Skills… Developing new skills requires being vulnerable and feeling inadequate at times. I mentioned that I had never written songs; but felt it would be fun. Where it would lead my career and professional aspirations was unclear; but the excitement of the journey and my curiosity were stronger.
Put in the time… Commitment and work are required to acquire a new life and career direction. Remember, when you first started anything you had to work at it to improve. I always like to use the analogy that Tiger Woods probably did not hit a hole in one the first time he teed up. It was passion and purpose that drove his commitment. Finding your WOW always starts with a curiosity and interest. An ah, ha feeling often leading to clarity and personal fulfillment! As a result, the work of discovering your purpose and passion in life will be worth the journey.
Other added benefits of beginning the process of finding your purpose and passion, is that you may find you are having fun, learning and discovering who you are and what you like. What you had initially thought was your WOW may change. You may run into a person who changes your WOW focus, meet someone who sees your talent and invests in your dreams, meet someone who introduces you to something that makes your heart sing even louder. Without taking the ‘road less traveled’, you may never discover your real WOW. Traveling down the same old dusty road year after year brings routine without the ‘oine’… in other words ‘rut’! Discovering your purpose and passion can lead to a renewed life energy and career clarity.
I was lead to write this article based upon my own life experiences and the experiences of those I have coached. It is so easy to get in a spin zone about what we want and where to begin. All we know is that we are ready for a change or we are put in a situation where we must change. So often we are in a hurry to make things happen that we take whatever is available. Taking the time to discover your WOW will make your journey worthwhile and the outcome more fulfilling
Confucius had the right idea when he said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Commit today to find your WOW.
If you have an interest in doing more reading, I like the article written by Amber Rae, in Fast Company, who says she is hell-bent on inspiring others to create the world they want to live in. the URL is: https://www.fastcompany.com/3001647/what-do-i-want-do-when-i-grow-wrong-question-ask
Patricia Leonard, President & CEO
Speaker, Author, Coach
Patricia Leonard & Associates
https://runwaytosuccess.teachable.com/