Staying Focused Amidst the Noise

Summary

The website content discusses the importance of staying focused on personal career goals amidst the plethora of lucrative and fulfilling career options highlighted by social media and the success stories of non-traditional professions.

Abstract

In a world where social media showcases diverse career paths and the financial success of unconventional jobs, individuals often find themselves contemplating multiple professions, from medicine to writing. The article emphasizes that while having numerous career options can be inspiring, it can also lead to indecision and a lack of focus. The author reflects on their own experiences and the revelations brought about by social media, which expose the potential for high earnings in previously undervalued or unknown fields. The piece advises readers to remain focused on their initial career aspirations, stressing the importance of a clear understanding of one's motivations for choosing a particular path. It suggests that true success and fulfillment come from choosing a career for passion and purpose rather than solely for financial gain. The article concludes by encouraging readers to confidently select a career, pursue it wholeheartedly, and avoid the distraction of comparing themselves to others.

Opinions

The author acknowledges the appeal of various career paths and side hustles but suggests that constantly changing one's mind can be counterproductive.
Social media has demystified the earning potential of non-traditional careers, broadening horizons beyond conventional expectations.
A "clear why" or understanding one's purpose in career choice is crucial for long-term focus and satisfaction.
Chasing after the apparent success of others on social media can lead to a lack of direction and dissatisfaction with one's own progress.
The author posits that it is better to excel in a single chosen field before diversifying into other ventures, to ensure proper management and dedication to each pursuit.
The article implies that the decision of choosing a career should be based on personal interest and the desire to contribute positively to society, rather than purely on financial incentives.
The author criticizes the societal pressure, particularly from parents, to pursue traditional high-paying careers like medicine and suggests that happiness and financial success can be found in various fields.

Staying focused Amidst the noise

“I want to be a doctor. Maybe being an engineer won’t be a bad idea. Do you know what would be a perfect side hustle? Being a songwriter. I’m sorry scratch that, I enjoy watching good quality movies. Maybe I would go to film school and learn how to work a camera. I write excellent pieces. Maybe writing is my true calling.”

Having so many options to choose from, sometimes, makes making a choice tough. Now the last paragraph is not exactly what goes through my head all the time. The truth is, what goes on in my head is not far from it. I never wanted to become a doctor, but I sure have had the thought of becoming a lawyer. Being a writer or even an entrepreneur has got to be the sexiest career prospect I have ever had. That’s as a side hustle of course. The reason why I have always thought of these careers as only side hustles is a different topic for a different article.

With social media and seeing how different individuals (strangers) can earn a living (a comfortable living) by doing whatever makes them happy. We have been able to get insight into how much people who have non-traditional career paths make. If not for social media, I’m sure a lot of people including myself would never have thought that there were freelancers making 6 figure incomes a year. Who would have thought that a website that was made to change people $5 per service (Fiverr) has grown to become a platform where people earn so much money.

Knowing that you could do whatever you want and become incredibly successful at it can sometimes distract people from the life plans that they previously set for themselves. That is assuming they are not focused of course. If from a young age you have always wanted to become a doctor because you were made to understand that doctors make “so much money”, there becomes a conflict when you grow up and realize that even YouTubers make a lot of money. You begin to question the reason you wanted to become to doctor and possibly drop out of that part.

Not that changing career paths or changing your mind on what you want your college major to be is a bad thing. It is good to decide what you want to do with your life and be confident with it. This doesn’t mean that you have to have your entire life figured out. It just means that you have to be confident in the decisions that you make for yourself. Without confidence in your decisions, you will find yourself lost and unsure of what your next move would be. If there is anything I have learned from watching so many videos on how much people make at different jobs, is that you can make enough money from any job if you do it right. All you need to do is pick one and stay focused.

A way to remain focused is to have a clear why. If you are anything like me, you have heard so many people say that. “Have a clear why?” What does that even mean? Having a clear why simply means having a definite understanding of the reason you make decisions. If you want to become a doctor, be one because you enjoy the work that a doctor does. Because you want to save lives. Do not make your career choice solely based on how much money people in that field earn, trust me people make money doing so many different types of work. Some people make even more money than some doctors. I’m sorry I’m picking on doctors but I think that’s a career that many parents have forced their children to pick.

What is the purpose of everything that I have written so far? I believe that like me, there are people that are confused. They came from a place of knowing very few career paths i.e accountants, engineers, lawyers, doctors, etc. To realizing “wait, you mean I can sit at home and become a millionaire just from posting videos online?”. It's crazy, I know. The truth is that if you keep looking around and admiring what other people have built for themselves with the hopes that you would be able to do the same one day, you might end up never doing it. You have to pick one already and get working. Yes, other people are doing great in life doing what is best for them. If you don’t look inward and decide what it is that you want to do, you might never get to the point where they are. You can’t do everything at once. Get that degree and then decide on what business(es) you want to start. Establish one business before you decide to start another one. That way, you know what you have on your plant and can manage that better.

You know exactly what you need to focus on and can manage distractions better. With a focused mind, you get to where you need to be faster. You don’t see sprint runners looking around and watching other runners throughout the race. Maybe apply that to your life and see how much the noise reduces.