I spent the majority of my 20s under the belief that the title I held and the company I worked for had to be credible and would determine my future.
I was truly fortunate to work for numerous companies that were very well established, full of notoriety and clout. We were known for our incredible products or services, we worked with clients who were recognizable in their industries and were often the best of the best. I worked at companies where my friends, friends of friends and total strangers would constantly contact me via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter asking to help them get their resume in the hands of the right person. I regularly had people acknowledge how incredible the place was where I worked.
I often felt a sense of jealousy from people who wanted to be where I was -- but there was one problem.
Most of the time, I didn't want to be where I was.
Every August since I graduated college, as summer would come to a halt, I would get the itch to make a move. I was looking for the next best thing -- title, company, boss, salary, workload, work environment and all. Almost every October that next best thing would land in my hands. I was ecstatic to leave the old behind and move into a fresh cubicle, open floor plan or work remotely. I was excited for the new possibilities, to join a team of likeminded people and to promote products that I thought I believed in.
The excitement was always temporary.
The hype around the company or the title I held always died down so quickly.
What was happening here? Why was I so set on making moves so frequently and yet found myself disappointed so quickly?
I was listening to Jonathan Fields' podcast, Good Life Project, where in the episode Capabilities Speak Louder Than Qualifications he said:
"I think we get hung up on this a lot. We get hung up on building our resume. I need to have this internship. I need to have this job. I need to have this school. Because that's the thing that's going to open doors for me. Sometimes that is the thing that's going to open the doors for you, but that's not the thing that's actually going to keep the doors open. That's not the thing that's going to keep you rising. That's not the thing that's going to matter to make a difference on a sustained basis on the lives of others. The only thing that opens those doors is your commitment to continued learning and growth. Your commitment to being a little bit better tomorrow than you are today."
As I think back to each of these positions that I held at these reputable companies, I truly believe they helped me get to where I am today, and without those experiences I wouldn't be where I am.
With that said, I believe I was trying to conform to society, trying to be someone I thought I wanted to be when in reality I was nothing like that that person all. As I transitioned from one job to the next, I hoped it would give me something that the last place lacked. What I learned over time was that each of these places were unable to provide me with what I was looking for -- what I was looking for was within me and it wasn't something I was willing to unleash and expose in these positions. I wasn't able to be my authentic self in those roles. They weren't the right fit for me long-term.
I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur -- I just didn't know what I would focus on. For years I considered starting a digital agency. That felt like the answer that everyone was expecting from me and that wasn't what I wanted for me. When I discovered the world of coaching, it truly felt like something I had been doing for years and I could turn it into a profession. I knew that coaching would give allow me to support, motivate and inspire individuals to take action in their lives all while having the freedom of being an entrepreneur. As I hold the position as an entrepreneur, I can guarantee -- this is the where I belong.
Those titles, those companies, they're great on my resume but they certainly don't define me.
The experiences, the lessons I learned, the challenges I faced, the tears I shed, and the laughing I did, those are the important aspects of my life. Those are the moments in my life that got me to where I am today.
After a lot of personal and professional digging, research and work -- I created the life that I want. I didn't conform to the title, company or industry that everyone else had or what everyone else thought was the right fit for me. This was my opportunity to explore something I was passionate about and turn it into a profession.
For the first time in my career, I don't think I'll be turning back. This is it.