Your career plays a very large role in your life, to the extent that many people would consider it as being a pretty central aspect to their existence. For some, this could also be considered as a negative aspect about their working life, but it doesn’t have to be. You could also see this as an opportunity.
If there are elements of your life that you’re not happy with, this is your chance to turn that around. Of course, it won’t always provide the exact solution that you’re looking for, but there will be times where your personal life and your work life intersect, giving you a chance to improve both of them, perhaps in ways that you hadn’t even considered. Read on for inspiration on how to use your career to make positive changes to your life.
To Confront Your Weaknesses
Everyone has aspects of themselves or their personality that they aren’t happy with. That’s perfectly normal, and people have different ways of dealing with this. It can be difficult for some people to confront this at all, but when they do, they might want to do so in a more gradual manner that seems more appealing to them at the time. There is another option that you could take in regards to this, though, and that’s to confront it head-on via the method of flooding. Flooding refers to a psychological treatment of overcoming a phobia, in which the patient jumps in at the deep end, so to speak, and puts themselves in a situation that forces them to confront this fear rather than gradually coming to terms with it.
So, how does this apply to your career and your own perceived personality flaws within that context? Well, many careers will be demanding and will present challenges that you will need to rise to in order to achieve success – many of which won’t be within your comfort zone. For example, you might find that you have social anxiety, and find it uncomfortable talking to people who you don’t know. Finding yourself in the position of customer service or retail might be an uncomfortable thought, but before too long you will realize that you’re beginning to overcome this sense of dread, and you might not have even noticed the transition occur. Being in a situation in which you are repeatedly exposed to this fear and forced to overcome it, can be an immensely positive experience.
Taking this same example to a further extreme, you might feel the calling of a leadership role, but not be aware of the right route forward. There might be certain aspects of yourself that you feel are fitted to a leadership position, and a general urge to take this direction, but there could be crucial elements that you’re missing. In this case, you have to simply recognize that if this is a route that you want to take, you have to confront these weaker aspects of yourself, and bring them up to snuff in order to get the results that you want. You might do this by taking an online masters in leadership, a form of studying that can allow you to tailor the learning around your potentially busy schedule.
To Improve Your Situation
It’s not unusual for people to feel a sense of fatigue or malaise surrounding their career. Perhaps it is the case that you aren’t happy with the direction your working life is taking, and that feeling is seeping into other areas of your life, as well. This can happen very easily, as having to attend a job every day that you don’t enjoy can begin to make you feel a sense of depression or despair. This is obviously an unhealthy situation, and it would do you well to research ways in which you can change this. First of all, you might consider simply seeking help in the form of therapy if you feel as though these feelings are severely affecting your life, but otherwise you could just look at how you can change your career.
Your career is a catalyst in this regard, and one that can change many other areas of your life as it provides you with reason and purpose. For example, if you’re also finding that you’re in need of a change of scenery, or would like to live closer to certain friends or family members, you can look for a new job in a different location. This might be the kind of breath of fresh air that you need, and can set your life off in a new, exciting direction. You could even look to opportunities abroad in order to gain a broader perspective, and some distance from the life you want to leave behind.
To Lead a Healthier Lifestyle
Similarly, you can use this opportunity to make changes to your life that can give way to a healthier lifestyle. With so much of your time dedicated towards your career, you might find that you don’t have time to put the effort into staying healthy. After you come home, you might find that you don’t want to do exercise, or cook a meal, and instead opt to simply sit down and rest before getting a takeaway. That’s not your fault, if you’re tired after a long day, it can be difficult to keep going into a busy evening, but you might want to look at how you can develop a career that is more accommodating.
If your job is one that sees you sitting at a desk, looking at a computer screen every day, you might find that overall, you’re not spending that much time outside. Shifting your career to one that (at least sometimes) allows you to spend time outside, perhaps in natural spaces, might begin to provide you with this much-needed exercise, as well as a potential boost for your mental health. Even if this isn’t the nature of the job every single day, having that variety will keep you more interested in your daily schedule, and might stop that sense of fatigue from feeling quite so prevalent and overwhelming. Physical health is important, but it’s important not to forget about your mental health.