I love my work, and in some cases my clients can clearly see that. More than a few have expressed envy for this. ”I wish I could be happy at work. I am anxious or stressed nearly every day, not knowing what I am going to do for my career.”
I too have experienced this feeling. I started my career as a lawyer. I enjoyed working in the public sector where I believed I was contributing to the greater good.
However, I knew the law was not the right fit for me. When I was a criminal prosecutor, I had a distinct voice in my head say: “Breaking people down is not my purpose. Rather, I want to help people build themselves.”
Those thoughts grew into mild anxiety about my career path as I worked as an enforcement attorney at the SEC. Again, I had no problem seeking justice against white collar criminals. But, I was aware that this was not my ultimate calling in life.
When I switched to the private sector, my anxiety about what I wanted to do grew more and more. I was not happy, and I was desperately in need for a change.
When I committed to becoming an education-entrepreneur, my career seeking anxiety soon vanished. Sure, I still had moments of worry and stress about building a business, financial security, and all that comes with entrepreneurship. But, I also had a great deal of joy related to building my career and doing something that I was passionate about.
When I began career counseling, I realized that I wanted everyone to escape the anxiety and experience joy. ”It doesn’t have to be that way.” I would tell clients. You don’t have to be stressed about your career. You can be joyfully building it instead to follow your dreams.