Today is my birthday so I think of it as the beginning of a new year and a time of new possibilities. This year is different because I am also at a turning point in my career. Perhaps my looming birthday brought on my recent soul searching, but I have been giving serious thought to a career change or redirection. This is where the hard part comes in. Do I follow my interests and passions or follow the money so I can pay the bills? Like many people, I feel obligated to follow the money in order to stay afloat. However, a persistent nagging feeling has been causing me to look into other options.
In honor of my birthday I decided to take a personality/career choice quiz to find out what type of career would best suit me. Of course, this should have been done 20 years ago. But…better late than never. I took the popular Myers‑Briggs online assessment to first determine my personality type. I have taken this test before and, just as the other times I’ve taken the test, the result was Mediator, INFP-t. According to 16personalitites.com, a good career choice for a Mediator is a writer. However, this just brings me back to the dilemma of pay vs. passion. I can’t currently make a living as a writer, but my present career in law is becoming less and less fulfilling. Another site, Truity.com, recognizes that INFP types prefer creative and artistic occupations. Careers to avoid include chemist, which is what my undergraduate education was leading towards.
While I’m not ready to put in my resignation and become a writer tomorrow, I owe it to myself to come up with some concrete ways to explore more fulfilling options in my free time. To start, I plan to learn more about my specific personality type and the careers that appear to be a good match. I’m not sure where I’ll be a year from now, but I at least hope I’m not as confused by the time my next birthday comes around.
Strictly Unstructured 
We have the personality type and I am finding myself at almost the same crossroads. Except that I had to jump off of the hamster wheel already.
Last year I had to cash in some of my 401K in order to go to Germany to care for my Mom for ten month. Well I have been surviving off of that money ever since and don’t wan to return to that same rat race (mine was even worse retail) and I am currently pursuing opening a creative business (online first) to follow my passions and find something that fulfills me in a different way. I had the career, the house the toys, not having to turn every penny and I got sick from all the stress with a chronic illness.
Today I have come full circle and less is actually more. I don’t need all the stuff anymore and I ratchet collect moments and memories. I definitely don’t need all the responsibility, always be reachable and thinks like that. These days I walk in the woods where there is no WiFi but my connection is a 100 times better. I don’t have it all figured out either but I am taking that leap of faith and t sounds like you might need to do the same. Whatever it might be, make sure you are not left behind wondering “what if” or “I wish I had”.
Best wishes to you, always. ❤️
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Thank you for your comment! I understand getting sick from the stress. I’m constantly feeling tired and have anxiety. Hopefully I can find a balance and be able to do something more fitting for my personality while still making ends meet at home. Best of luck to you:)
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You are very welcome and you will know when the time is right to make changes. It didn’t always know, or I did and didn’t act upon it. That was until the universe took charge and rendered me helpless through a chronic illness, forcing me to better listen to the signs. Today i realize it was all part of the lessons to be learned and I am not a victim in this at all.
Best wishes to you dear friend!
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Thank you for your encouraging comments:)
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Thank you for allowing me to express them. 😉
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Honestly I just hit this milestone myself. You are a dreamer and letting those dreams die to a monotonous occupation will crush your spirit. Make a plan, do what you need to do to give yourself time to actualize your dreams. Build the skills and strategies that you will need to move forward and then execute. We are idealists, “shoot for the stars, make it over the moon” type of people. Dream big and take chances, retirement is overrated and out of reach for most people, just focus on what makes you sparkle.
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Thank you so much for your comment. It’s so easy to get complacent and forget about our dreams. I need to set daily reminders so I don’t lose sight when things get hectic.
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