“Money is not everything, it is the only thing,” is part of the advice we often get when making career decisions. Or
Money is not everything, but it ranks right up there with oxygen.
Well part of it is true because without money, life can be pretty uncomfortable.
But to make a career decision primarily based on the amount of money you’ll be able to earn, is not that wise either. I often see such people when they come for career counselling when they are in midlife. When people follow a career for the money, they often reach midlife with a feeling that they hate what they do.
That is when they come to see me, because they don’t understand why they are not happy in their work; they are no longer motivated to get up in the morning to go to work. I’ve seen accountants, scientists, doctors, engineers and many others. In most cases they’ve decided on careers because of the possible wealth they hoped to acquire by working in that field.
But if your personality and talents does not match the work you do, it will most probably catch up with you by midlife. When you do work that you are passionate about an hour may feel like 5 minutes, but with the wrong kind of work, 5 minutes may feel like an hour.
People who do not really match their jobs will most probably feel insecure in what they do which in turn will lead to them not being as successful in their fields as their counterparts who love what they do.
# So how will you go about to determine what kind of work will be right for you? Jim Collins in the book Good to Great describes what he calls the “Hedgehog concept.”
According to Collins successful people and companies use the hedgehog concept to help as a frame of reference for all their decisions and this understanding leads to breakthrough results.
The hedgehog concept consists of three parts which can be graphically portrayed as three intersecting circles. The first is what you are really, really good at, like a natural ability/talent. The second is what you are really passionate about; like an hour feels like 5 minutes. The third is the thing that drives your economic engine, i.e. the thing with which you can earn money.
Now the hedgehog concept is found where you are passionate about something that you also very talented in and if that combination can earn you good money, you are in your sweet spot.
If you can find that, you’ll have the best chance of being successful and it will most probably not feel too much like work. Is it possible to find such a job? Yes it is, and it is my privilege to help people find that sweet spot.
A Career Direct Assessment will help you to know and understand yourself or your son / daughter / spouse / employees). I can assure you, it makes all the difference to know the real you.
For a head start in business, click here to join us at the Business by the Book Course on 27 & 28 July 2018 at Val de Vie in Paarl.
