Live your career like you live your life: The Longview

I remember my early career years, especially the desire to grow – my skills, knowledge, scope, salary, credibility, and the list went on. Damn, I was eager.  I put my hand up for everything. I was constantly looking to what’s next, changing roles every 18 – 24 months. Fast forward 20-some-odd years and I find myself in quite a different reality. I’m still growing – after all this time – which is awesome, however, it’s a deeper, more introspective type of growth rather than the more outwardly facing areas I relished in my twenties. Additionally, it’s less about what’s next and more about what’s possible, specifically as it pertains to the people I work with rather than my own agenda because well, my agenda has shifted from inward to outward. Somewhere in between these two stages was the messy middle that inadvertently landed me in my “sweet spot”.

 

“In order to propel yourself through the long journey, you will need abundant supplies of career fuel.”
– Brian Fetherstonhaugh

 

Does this sound at all familiar to anyone? There are natural career phases that we unwittingly float through, often without the foresight of knowing where we are until one day you’re on the other side of 50 years-old and suddenly life is looking a whole lot clearer. Through the ups and downs of my career, I’ve realized that a career is not the 30-year sentence I once thought it was as a university student. Nor is it a marathon requiring a well-established and steady pace. Rather, it is a series of sprints that require fueling – and resting – along the way. How we fuel our career looks different at each stage. In his book, The Long View, Brian Fetherstonhaugh highlights three big career stages from a refreshing perspective.  

 

 

A few of my favourite things about this book include:

  • In a way that resonates with the reader, the book delineates the stages of career with meaning and purpose.
  • There are worksheets and tools to help the reader work through their own findings and revelations.
  • A career is like life, it’s rarely perfect.  What you choose to do and how you choose to experience each stage is up to you.  Fulfillment is impacted by perspective.

– Melissa Law