The Career / Education ego-RHYTHM™

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. ~ George Bernard Shaw

I’m the chairwoman of this particular ego-RHYTHM™.

There’ve been very few days in my life when I dreaded going to work. There was never a time when I wanted to do something else other than what I was doing. New projects and ideas are exciting to me and, because of that, I have already found myself in the career ego-RHYTHM™ several times.

I’m so career-oriented that I believe I will revisit this ego-RHYTHM™ multiple times as my life progresses. To me, a profession, a job, or a project becomes a living, breathing thing. It takes over my thinking, and I can’t stop until it is where I want it to be.

As you probably know (and should know) there’s a big difference between a job and a career. Many people think of their job as a means to an end; a necessity. They do what has to be done to put money in the bank and food on the table. Whether they like or dislike their job is not important. They have no ambition to be more than what they are today. There’s no ladder to climb and no goal to achieve. People who don’t make career a priority, and who are comfortable working the job they’re in, might find that the bulk of their lives are spent in other ego-RHYTHMs™.

Here’s an example. During a trip to Las Vegas, I was waiting for my shuttle and struck up a conversation with the hotel chauffeur. He was polishing the hotel car with great pride, and I commented on his enthusiasm. The driver said that he loves what he does and has been doing it for 25 years. He also said he couldn’t imagine ever doing anything else. The security of knowing what he will be doing tomorrow, and the next day, and for each day thereafter is comforting to him. He doesn’t want the stress of a high-caliber career, he doesn’t want to sit in an office, and he is content with what his job pays him and the life he has created as a result. While he is probably one of the best and most committed chauffeurs I have met, he is not in his career ego-RHYTHM™.

You might love what you do, or you might feel about your work as something that simply needs to get done even though you happen to be very good at it. This can happen to people who have a lot of experience in their respective fields. They do a fabulous job, but they don’t love what they do. But, again, a job is different from a career. You are in the “Career/Education” rhythm when your job advancement, your work, or your education is the most important aspect of your life.

Are you in a career ego-RHYTHM™ or are you just working at a job? Tell me – you’ll be able to identify part of where you are on your path. I’d love to know – thanks for sharing.