How much of your current work life is something that you can genuinely describe as being purposeful? Can you honestly say that what you are doing is the right thing for you and that you are fulfilling yourself? This isn’t about woo-woo career advice but about the importance of not wasting the most precious asset you’ve got: your time. Are you leading your career with purpose?
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Too Important
If you go back to review my writing, I’ve been referring to careers with the context of life being too short for years. I can be a bit of an annoying incarnate memento mori. So even though I’m writing this article as part of my personal mourning this week as we mark a year since the atrocities of October 7, this isn’t some newfound revelation. It’s really that simple: life’s too important to waste it away on work that’s wrong for you.
One of the nice things about working in tech, especially in leadership positions, is that we’re honestly privileged. We’re not doing manual labor for 12 hours straight. The biggest health risk is probably RSI. The pay is good. Perhaps you’re even getting some obnoxious perks like massages in the office every few weeks (do companies still do those?). That means two things.
First, with all of these perks and comfort, it’s almost inevitable to settle for what’s “easy.” That often means continuing on the current path, sticking with this job, even when it is no longer right for you. When I ask people why they like their job, and instead of mentioning the team or the product, they start numerating perks and benefits, I know they’ve gotten confused.
Second, having these roles that come with more financial security and general demand means that if you’re genuinely good at what you’re doing, you have the amazing ability to choose your job with more particularity. Yes, even right now, when the market is ‘not great.’ That’s rarely a reason to remain in a place that’s slowly eating you away for months (let alone years). You don’t have to quit right now. You can take your time. Perhaps you don’t even need to quit. But consider what your purpose is and whether you’re on the right track to fulfill it.
Ask Yourself
Personally, I ask myself frequently whether what I’m doing is the right thing for me. I guess that’s more natural as an independent consultant and author. Nevertheless, there’s no magic in these questions, which means they only apply to me. Here are some questions that I often use with my clients.
Are you having fun? Perhaps that question that surprises people the most. Work’s not supposed to be fun, right? Yes, if you quit a job the second something annoying happens, you’ll be forever unemployed (yes, not even self-employed). But you can tell whether, in general, you are happy with your work. Do you get the weekend-end blues thinking about returning to work? Are you mostly stressed, unhappy, or unmotivated? Life’s too short to spend years waiting for… what exactly? As a whole, yes, you should aim to have fun and enjoy work.
Why are you doing this? A question I regularly get asked, personally. It’s very odd for many to understand the pride and satisfaction of helping others succeed and excel. What motivates me is seeing the piles of people and companies who are doing better due to my help. It’s much more impact than I ever achieved working on a single product. You should have a similar answer that explains why you’re willingly trading the majority of your waking hours doing what you do. Just making ends meet rarely fits the bill (again, see above; you can probably find a better role if that’s the only reason).
Compared to what you had hoped to achieve five years ago, how are you doing? Would younger-you consider what you’re currently doing a success, an improvement, or a step-up? Or would you look at yourself in disdain, not believing you’re spending two years with ‘golden handcuffs’? This sometimes helps you realize that you’ve actually accomplished quite a lot and can be proud of that. Maybe this question will help recenter you about why this is the right place for you and requires some upgrades and improvements, personally or across the organization. Or it could be the trigger to the realization that you’ve gone astray at some point and drifted apart from what you really wanted to do.
Compared to what you’d like to achieve in five years, are you on the right track? Similarly, take the time now to think about your future and what you’d still like to experience and achieve. I recently spoke with someone who had a very impressive track record and knew that he wanted to move on from his current role but didn’t really know where he was headed. That resulted in an inability to make any progress in his job search. Would you invest in someone who’s “ok” with founding a startup but also being the first employee or joining an enterprise? Choose that as your first employee? Understanding what you want to do is crucial to tell where you need to be headed.
What are you afraid of? Lastly, it’s important to realize which worries or fears control you. Sometimes, it entails a positive aspect. For example, if you’re afraid another ten years will pass by and you still haven’t tried starting your own business, perhaps you should do that before you end up regretting it for the rest of your life. On the other hand, sometimes, our fears hold us from making the leap to what we ought to do. I’ve seen my fair share of senior leaders who realized that they prefer working with smaller teams or even going back to an IC-type role but were afraid of marring their careers, of being viewed as bad, etc. Is that a good enough reason to keep doing something that’s the wrong fit?
To sum this up, life is short. Use your time correctly. Have purpose in how you shape your path and career. And if you need help, I’d be happy to talk.