Why it’s never too late to do work you love

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We spend the majority of your adult lives at work, so it’s vital your career inspires, motivates and rewards you. If you’re unhappy at work, these feelings of discontent and dissatisfaction will inevitably spill over into other areas of your life. By prioritising your professional happiness, you can ensure that your career is as meaningful and fulfilling as other elements of your life.
We tend to start thinking about future careers at a relatively young age, whether we want to or not! Teenagers as young as 15 or 16 years old are asked to make major decisions about what they want to do with the rest of their lives. While some people may have a yearning ambition that will stay with them forever, most people don’t. Indeed, you might not even be aware of the range of career options out there when you’re still in your teens or early twenties, right?

Fortunately, it is never too late to change your career and do something you truly love for a living. If you’re apprehensive about moving into a new industry or starting over in a new sector, just take a look at these reasons why it’s worth taking a risk:

A Job You Love is Less Stressful
Although some jobs are naturally more fast-paced than others, a career you don’t enjoy can easily become stressful and overwhelming. When you aren’t particularly motivated to enhance your industry, for example, you might find it difficult to stay on top of the latest developments or be at the forefront of new innovations.

In contrast, when you’re doing a job you enjoy, you’re actively interested in how your sector is evolving. As a result, you see potential obstacles as challenges to be overcome, rather than as barriers to your success. This change in your mindset is one of the reasons why a job you enjoy is less stressful than one you don’t, and it’s well worth remembering when you’re weighing up the pros and cons of changing careers.

Industries are Constantly Evolving
Many people fear starting over in a new industry because they assume, they’ll have to start from the bottom and work their way up. While it is important to gain experience in your chosen sector, industries are constantly evolving, which means everyone is continually learning. The introduction of new technology can revolutionise a sector in an instant, so don’t assume that a lack of experience is going to hold you back.

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New Challenges Are Out There
​Perhaps you’ve reached a point in your current career where there isn’t really anywhere to go or maybe you’re simply not interested in climbing to the very top of this particular corporate ladder? If so, you’ll be relieved to find that new challenges await you.

Taking on a new role in a different industry can unleash the creativity and innovation you thought had fizzled out some time ago. When you’re inspired by your colleagues and peers, and genuinely interested in what you’re doing, it can have a big impact on your mental and emotional well-being.

You Have Transferable Skills
If you’re worried that the energy you’ve invested in your career thus far will be wasted, don’t be. Nothing can diminish what you’ve achieved in your career and switching to a different sector won’t detract from your success.

In fact, your professional experience has equipped you with a whole range of transferable skills that will stand you in good stead, whatever you decide to do next. By choosing to do something you love, however, you can ensure that this hard-earned skills and talents are used to pursue your passion and achieve your lifelong goals.

It’s Time for a Fresh Start
When people feel apprehensive about changing careers, they often postpone their plans until the ‘right time’. In reality, it’s always the right time for a fresh start, so why wait to do something you love? As 2021 approaches, you can embrace the upcoming opportunities with a ‘new year new job’ mentality. Giving yourself the freedom to seek out new professional challenges will give you the impetus to make positive changes in your life and the drive to enhance your success.

Plan Your New Career
A career change can enable you to do something you love, but it’s always helpful to have a strategic plan in place. By building a network, gaining informal experience and honing your skills, for example, you can ensure you’re well-equipped to uncover new employment opportunities and secure the job of your dreams in 2021.