I've been sitting on a thought for quite some time now. It may seem a bit contradictory to common thought, but it is one I firmly believe in: just because you are good at something, doesn't mean you should do it.
I have many talents. I'd like to think of myself as a jack-of-most-trades. I believe I can pick up new things quickly, and do quite well at them. One aspect that I find myself very good at is sales. In my stints working retail, I crushed it. My numbers were high, my reputation was getting strong, and I had good rapport with customers. But it wasn't for me. My crushing it, was just my competitive nature showing. Some of you may say, "well in retail you either love it or hate it", and that's good and all, but that's kind of my point. I was good at it, but I didn't believe I should choose it as a lifestyle.
Recently (well, several years ago) I read Andre Agassi's autobiography entitled Open. I thought it would open my mind to what wild success as an athlete would bring. Turns out, Andre hated tennis, loathed it even. How could this be? One of the best tennis players to ever live, hated his lifestyle and what he was doing?
This made me question how one should choose a career path: Choose what you're good at, or choose something you want to be good at? Fortunately, I had the ability to choose the latter. I had the support of friends and family who encouraged choosing something I want to be good at. It is that support which I feel drove me to strive for an MBA. It wasn't an easy task. Many sleepless nights, phone calls home, conversations with the fiancee about life choices and financial decision making. For me, although it was more difficult, choosing a path that led gave me an internal drive, to pursue what I could be good at, actually spurred me to want to be great at it.
In a non-Tumblr kind of way, I'd like to think that life works itself out. One of my first jobs was a summer camp counselor. I had great rapport with staff, with the kids, and was good at the outdoors activities. I would like to say that I would have been good at that lifestyle. But, I believe it would have been a lifestyle I wouldn't have wanted for my life. Instead, the lifestyle in which I had to strive for, the one in which was going into the unknown of whether or not it would be a good idea, is the one I feel to have been the best choice. I've since gotten a BA and MBA, got married, have started a career, and have found myself settled in a part of the world that I never thought existed. I have a great group of friends and have a sense of belonging, which I have to admit is a great feeling.
So in conclusion, I believe that one should choose the career path in which you want to be good at, as you will then want to be great at it.
Author's note: This decision making process is is not time-sensitive, and could happen at any age or skill level. For some of you it was at age 10, and for folks like me, it was around age 20, and for some it may be at age 50.
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Harmandeep Singh (Monday, 18 May 2020 14:55)
In the past few months, I connected with many successful leaders, almost had 50 coffee meetings, and did numerous phone calls. The majority of those interactions were based on what I have done, instead of where I see myself. The article reflects such an intriguing thought, with balanced arguments and common language. Also, some of your experiences remind me of myself - starting a journey from a different part of the world and making those deliberate financial choices. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and excited for more what's more to come.