CAREER PATH FLEXIBILITY

Common wisdom says you should decide on an occupation with a definite goal. That works most of the time, but you need to avoid getting stuck in the pursuit of only one option. Opportunities Arise !!

Don't automatically reject opportunities because they do not fit your predetermined goal. They might be activities that you may enjoy even more than the one you originally chose. They may also provide you other tangible and intangible advantages.

You may be so intent on working towards one particular dream that you may ignore or reject other opportunities without adequate thought. Since you are busy with one goal, you may not know all the other opportunities available, and you'll never know where the other path would have led you. Single-minded focus and passion on one objective is the way, but one needs to be careful lest other paths get blocked by failing to cater for unexpected opportunities. We must realize that it’s a highly dynamic environment.

The idea that careers should be planned in advance needs to be seen more practically. So many of our colleagues suffer because they feel that future career path can be foretold in totality. They are often overwhelmed by anxiety because they think they must find that "one right job" - and that there is some way to know of it in advance. In their understandable but impossible striving for career certainty, they make themselves miserable.

Unable to realize their dreams disillusionment follows. Since you make a major emotional investment, the failure to achieve the dream can be devastating. There may be other ways to pursue a  dream without feeling destroyed if it fails to materialize. An experimental attitude may be an answer. Instead of saying, "I must become a doctor," try saying, "I will explore a career in medicine. I'll give it my best shot to get into a medical college. If I get any better ideas along the way, I’m flexible." Or, instead of, "My dream is gone," try saying, "Now that things have changed, how can I begin to explore new opportunities that may be better ?" Changing your plans is not failure – its normal. As you discover more, you may find that your original dream no longer suits you. Go ahead and dream - but keep yourself awake by remembering the following points.

1. Test your dream one step at a time.
2. If a dream fails, move on to something else.
3. Listen to advice, but make up your own mind.
4. Don't stick with a bad choice.
5. Open yourself to other alternatives.
6. Reassess priorities when circumstances change.