In recognition of Toss Away the “Could Haves” and “Should Haves” Day, here are common career regrets and how to avoid them by finding balance:
Pursuing Only Your Passion (What You Love / What You’re Good at)
Everyone tells you to find a job you’ll love so ‘you’ll never have to work a day in your life.’ But, what if you’re bad at it, or you share that passion with everyone else and there aren’t any openings in that field. Keep your options open because you don’t know when you’ll discover a new passion that’s has better job prospects and is actually hiring. Maintain your personal values through your job searches, because although soft skills are more transferable from industry to industry and sector to sector, upholding your values is essential to ensuring you’re happy and fulfilled with your current performance.
Fearing Failure (What You’re Comfortable With / What You Need to Grow)
Many successful people you meet can retell a colossal failure of theirs with a sense of humour because they recognize how much they’ve gained from committing those mistakes. Failures will constantly arise during your career, but the trajectory of your success depends on how you react. If you ignore those errors, you’ll continue making them, but if you assess them early and identify the root cause, you’ll establish a foundation on how to proceed the next time. Everyone also tells you to leave your comfort zone, embrace change, and take risks. The world is always changing, and it changes so fast. Determine what you’re comfortable with but keep learning, because to succeed in the future, you’ll probably need more skills than the ones you currently possess.
Ignoring Your Success (What You Want / What You Have)
Don’t forget how far you’ve come. It doesn’t matter where you are along your career path. Enrolled in courses? Recently graduated? A few years into your first job? Toss away that negative attitude of always looking ahead to what’s next and instead, take some time to recognize, celebrate, and enjoy your current successes.