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Just Because You’re GOOD at Something Doesn’t Mean it’s RIGHT for You!

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@denmarkguy
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It seems to be a popular school of thought that when people have aptitude for certain thing, that's what they should be doing in life. And... if you're good at something, of course you enjoy it, as well.

I imagine that much of that is related to what we might call "olden times," when such ideas as being happy — especially when it came to the work you were doing — was largely an irrelevant consideration. You took your highest and best skill, and you worked hard. End of story.

I often reflect on the fact that my education is in finance and marketing, and my family always figured that I was likely to become something like an accountant, because I was "good with numbers and understood business."

Of course they were exactly right about part of that statement, in the sense that indeed I was good with numbers and had a reasonable understanding of business.

Sure, But do You CARE?

But I also had very little interest in it.

As a result of which, I find myself writing these mostly retrospective words at 61 years of age, concluding that just because you're good at something doesn't mean it's the thing you should be doing. At least not if being happy with what you're doing figures into your equation for what constitutes a good life.

And maybe that's where my "problem" always played into the equation: feeling good about my life and what I'm doing is kind of important to me. Far more important than impressing people and climbing the ladder of success.

And so, instead of doggedly pursuing something according to my skillset, I looked to the that New Agey saying: "Do what you love, the money will follow!"

Jack of Far-Too-Many Trades

For lack of a better way of describing it I'm a bit of a polymath.

Meaning that there are lots of things I'm pretty good at; some of which I enjoy and some I really don't enjoy very much.

I remember being part of a career development group when I was in my 20s, and during one weekend we had a very long workshop where we completely a battery of tests and quizzes to help us figure out what our ideal careers would look like.

Ironically, based purely on the functional aspects of aptitude, my ideal career was supposedly something that involved mechanical engineering. This, it seemed, was largely based on the fact that I could look at a jumble of wheels and levers and pulleys and machinery and two seconds later tell you exactly how it worked. I was something on the order of "96% compatible" with Mechanical Engineering... one of the highest scores among 50-odd participants!

Uhmmm... Really?

Of course the whole idea was shot down when I made the observation that I had zero interest in working with machinery or designing machinery or making machinery work. In fact, I have a general loathing of things that involve moving parts. Especially if those things were moving parts are likely to break and have to be repaired.

But I digress. Somewhat....

Fun reflection: one of the things I am most aware of in this later stage of life is that perhaps the most important aspect of choosing what to do — at least for me — was that I sincerely wanted to feel good about what I was doing. Money, prestige, status, and all that other rot was just never all that important. Hence, I'd not even reached midlife by the time I coined the phrase "Creative Slacker," and started using it to describe myself!

What Really MATTERS?

And so, I end up with the thought that determining what exactly is the most important thing for each of us is where we should turn, as we choose what it is we do with our lives. Do we want to be rich? Do we want to be powerful? Do we want to be well liked? Do we want to be in the limelight? Do we want to be left alone? Do we want to be happy?

And if you say "some of each," then in what order, and in what proportions?

What is it we really want? Do you actually know?

Moreover, what is it we really want, as that stands apart from external pressures and influences pushing us towards what the world thinks we should be? What would your answer be, if nobody could HEAR you, or JUDGE you, or INFLUENCE you?

Experience tells me that those two are often not the same!

Thanks for reading, and have a great remainder of your week!

How about YOU? Is what you are really GOOD at necessarily what you LIKE doing? What have been your parameters for choosing your work path? Is that path truly YOURS, or one you feel you were pushed into? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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