How to find your true purpose and ideal career path? – Quick tips

Have you ever been through a particular phase where you were confused about your career path? And not sure about the exact field that truly satisfies your soul? I have been there too. Let me tell you that it is absolutely normal to feel this way. Let’s consider another scenario – Are you doing extremely well in your current job and getting appreciated for your hard work, but still not sure if that really fuels your passion? Let me tell you, I have been there too. These uncomfortable feelings are actually a sign that you are yet to discover your true passion and purpose.

How do you know if you are on your ideal career path?

 

Most of us take up the first job opportunity that comes our way either during campus placements or if you have applied off-campus and get selected by fluke. This is the most ideal scenario that happens with most of us, as the first job opportunity comes with a lot of excitement. You are all delighted and excited about starting your career after putting in years of hard work in completing your graduation with flying colors. That’s great, grab that first job without giving it a second thought.

 

Now how do you know if you truly want to pursue your first job domain as your long-term career plan? Consider these questions –

• Are you doing exceptionally well in this domain?
• Are you curious to learn more and dive deep into it?
• Does it make you want to jump out of bed and look forward to an amazing day at work?
• Are you discovering new ideas and contributing to your level best?

If the answer to these questions is yes, awesome! You are definitely on the right track and you should continue to thrive and make your mark in this field. Ofcourse there will be days when you feel exhausted more than usual, but your passion should keep you going. 

 

How do you know if you should branch out and discover more?

 

On the contrary, how do you know if you are truly meant to shine in a different environment? It is perfectly alright to take your own time to discover your passion. Only after getting into the playground, you can discover your strengths and weaknesses. Some of you must be going through a phase where you just aren’t sure enough if your current job is the one where you are meant to shine to your highest potential. You need not worry if you are feeling stuck here, as it is completely normal. In fact, it is an indication that you are meant to leave your comfort zone and grow.

 

Consider these questions – 

• Are you doing well and standing out but still not satisfied at the end of the day?
• Are you experiencing unnecessary burnout after a couple of years?
• Are you doing it just because it feels safe and comfortable?
• Are you committing frequent blunders at work?
• Are you doing it just to wait for your paycheck at the end of every month?

If this is the case, it is high time you work on discovering your true passion. The worst thing you could do in such a situation is get worked up and stressed out about it. You cannot think clearly when your mind of constantly bombarded with millions of confusing thoughts. You are bound to get tangled in your loop of thoughts. Instead, breathe, accept, and embrace this situation.

 

What can you do about it?

 

Now that you have discovered you want to branch out and find your ideal career path, how do you go about it? The first and foremost thing I would like to suggest is you should accept the situation with all your heart. Once your mind is at peace, you can think and plan your next moves.

 

Quick tips

• Experiment, experiment, and experiment
• I repeat again, don’t worry if you are confused about which domain to take up next. Only after experimenting and trying, you will get closer to your purpose.
• Talk to your friends, colleagues, seniors, batch mates, etc. and share your thoughts and views. Ask for their recommendations, suggestions, and advice.
• Even if they may not be able to help you or clear all your doubts in one discussion, frequent conversations and discussions will help you get a rough idea. Or at least motivate you to take the first step.
• Identify what drives you and build on that skill step by step. How do you do that? Before you finally find your passion, you have to try out a few things, and fail at it. Yes, you read that right. There is absolutely no other shortcut.
• Take up some online courses to find out your interests and what suits your personality. You can take up offline courses to build your soft skills as well.

Final thoughts

 

There is abundance for everyone out there, do not settle just because it feels comfortable and safe. Get out of your comfort zone, try new things, fail at it, get up, and get going again. The worst thing you could do in such a situation is to stay stagnant. You are meant to do something that makes you look forward to a Monday without feeling exhausted. Something that brings out the best in you. Something that drives you to make a difference in this world. I wish all the very best to everyone reading this. I genuinely hope you discover your true passion, keep shining, and keep inspiring others.

Penned by - Aanchal Patil