Having a job and having a career are not the same thing. If you have a job, you’re probably ready to quit at a moment’s notice if something better comes along. It’s even conceivable that you realize this isn’t the place for you, but you’re staying nonetheless since any money is better than no income at all. A career, on the other hand, is something you do because you want to. You do it because you like it and believe you can progress. Even when people have jobs, there may be something more out there – being satisfied is not the same as being happy, and it is happiness that we should aim for. To be happy at work, you must be in the appropriate career. So, these are the signs to watch for to guarantee you are. If you’re not, it’s time to do something about it.
Your Mind Is Calm
When you work in the best profession for you, your mind will be much more at ease; you’ll be calm and happy and get on with your work with no problems. However, if you’re not doing what’s best for you, your mind will wander, and you’ll get distracted, and when that happens, your productivity will suffer. That is not a good thing; it turns an already possibly wrong professional path into something that is difficult to pursue altogether.
That wandering mind will not happen when you are doing the right thing for yourself and in the right career. You’ll be completely focused on your job, and nothing will get in your way. Take a minute the next time you’re at work to consider how quiet – or not – your thoughts are. Are you actually longing for something else?
You Are Happy
We’re not suggesting you have to wake up every morning excited to go to work; that’s almost impossible. Work is still work, no matter how enjoyable it is or what you do when you arrive. However, if you realize that you are looking forward to coming to work, that you are eager to get started on the next job or project, or just to see what fascinating things the day will offer you, then you are in the correct profession.
Ideally, everyone would like to do something that doesn’t feel like work, but that isn’t always feasible (congratulations if you have found it, though). The closest thing to this is realizing that your job is nearly as enjoyable as your personal life. That’s something unique, and it indicates your happiness levels are skyrocketing. In addition, the well-known ‘Sunday blues,’ which make people unhappy on a Sunday evening because they’ve had two days off and now have to go back to work, will never be an issue for you.
Little Effort Is Required
You’ll be excellent at what you do if you’re in the right career for you. Everyone excels at something – maybe you already know what it is, maybe you’re still searching for it. It makes no difference how long it takes to discover that thing, whatever it might be, as long as you keep looking as it will help you find the perfect job for you. When you’re doing the correct thing, it will always seem easy, as if you already knew much of what you needed to know intuitively. You won’t be pressured, overwhelmed, or concerned that you’re doing a poor job – this is your calling, and it’s what you need to do to be happy.
It might be that you are able to use your applied statistics degree, something you’ve always liked and found interesting, in your work. Perhaps you simply have an innate aptitude for whatever it is you’re doing. Maybe you’re following in a role model’s footsteps. Whatever it is, if you find it’s easy (and you get good results), then you’re on the right path.
Second Best Is Not Good Enough
You won’t want to do or achieve anything that isn’t up to your very best standard if you’ve chosen the right career for you. It’s about pride and passion for the work, as well as wanting others to know how good you are at it. There will be no time for secondary projects or other diversions (although a hobby or two, kept strictly to your downtime, is a good idea to keep your brain active or your body healthy).
The key to understanding whether you’re in the correct career is that you won’t allow anything to cause you to do subpar work. Yes, you may be a workaholic at times, but that’s because you know what you’re doing is exactly what you’re supposed to be doing, and that’s a good thing. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be so focused on getting everything right, and second-best wouldn’t be a problem at all.
You Are Completely Satisfied
When you get your job choice right, everything else in life should follow on perfectly, ensuring you are completely satisfied with what you’re doing. Everything works flawlessly and fits together beautifully. This sort of congruence isn’t something that everyone gets to experience, so if you can, seize it and realize that your profession is, after all, the correct one.
When you’re working in the right career, you’ll be able to spot new possibilities as they arise, whether at work or at home. This will make you feel much happier and more content, and you will no longer have limiting thoughts. When that happens, you’ll be able to overcome any hurdles in your way.
You Can’t See Yourself Doing Anything Else
Any group of people will tell you that they fantasize (maybe more than they should) about working somewhere other than where they are. That is not an indication of someone who is content with their work; it is not a sign of someone who is in the right career.
If the thought of changing careers has never occurred to you, and you are one of the rare individuals who, if questioned, would be able to honestly claim you have never daydreamed about being somewhere else or doing anything else, then you are doing the right thing. Your mind is at ease, your spirit is content, and there is nothing to fantasize about since everything is just as it should be.