In this Economy? Finding Career Fulfillment in an Unstable Time
- Ana Macaspac
- Apr 23
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 24
For those who have more flexibility in their professional choices, discerning one’s career path can significantly impact mental health. After all, forty hours or more a week is not a small bite of our waking hours. When we sense dissatisfaction, especially when it is related to a lack of purposefulness, we must face questions of values, risk, and desire. The predictable, stable misalignment versus the unpredictable, unknown opportunity. This blog will explore the ties between our cultural views of work life, purpose and mental health, and considerations during an unpredictable sociopolitical landscape.
Why We Define Ourselves by Our Jobs
In our capitalistic hustle culture, who can blame us for swiftly asking one another, “So, what do you do?” upon meeting strangers. We ask preschoolers what they want to be when they grow up and prefrontal-cortex-lacking teenagers to pick a college major and stick with it. It is simply a pillar of our identities, even if, for many of us, it is simply a necessary use of time to exist in a brutally unaffordable world. The “experience” section of our resumes are closely tied to who we believe ourselves to be.
It is not necessary to define one’s self by one’s career; for many in helping professions, it is more sustainable to create rigid boundaries between life and work. But for individuals who find themselves lacking any sense of meaningfulness in their careers, feeling unfulfilled by work can be significantly troubling, manifesting in debilitating anxiety and depression related to maintaining the status quo with a successful, upward-angled trajectory.
Beyond Financial Wealth
To imagine hitting a Wrong Way, U-turn, or dead end sign after many years driving on one road is indeed gut-wrenching—to the point of most people probably ignoring those signs. We all know Boomers and Gen Xers who stayed at the same job for 30+ years... no sign seems like no problem! However, our mental and physical health (not to mention our relationships) usually end up paying the price when our inner and outer worlds are unaligned. To spend one-third of one’s life working, one truly ought to consider what career gives you fulfillment.
Writer Sahil Bloom differentiates between different types of wealth: time wealth, social wealth, physical wealth, financial wealth, and mental wealth. To compare even just the latter two: financial wealth is what we imagine in terms of financial independence and monetary enoughness, while mental wealth is engaging one’s clarity and purpose, zooming out from day-to-day stress, and getting specific about what matters. This framework, and the larger idea that success must consider more than one type of wealth, calls into question the true cost-benefit analysis of our work lives. For example, what does a high-paying job cost in terms of one’s social wealth or time wealth? Or, what does a mission-driven job cost in terms of one’s financial wealth or physical wealth? How can a career be reconsidered with the primary goal of “investing” in all areas of one’s life?
Career Change Considerations in an Unstable Economy
It is more than understandable to feel uncertain in today’s world. Waking up and checking the news is a genuinely courageous choice for many of us. When it comes to thinking outside of current professional circumstances, here are some realities to weigh:
We don’t know what’s next: This can be taken in a lot of ways. “We don’t know what’s next—so prioritize the security and safety net you do have,” or “We don’t know what’s next—so you better make sure you make your one wild and precious life count.”
Every field is feeling an impact: For better or for worse, no professional field is necessarily immune to the major changes and instability happening at the federal level.
Capitalism doesn’t love you back: Our systems are not designed to provide us with peace or freedom. Often, purposeful, person-centered, needed work in the community shares a chunky venn-diagram-middle with burnout, under-resourced organizations, unlivable wages, and poor boundaries. There is no reason to glamorize this path, nor to become a martyr for martyrdom’s sake. Choosing a mission-driven path usually comes at a cost, and that ought to be weighed with intention.
For Self-Reflection
Questions to ask yourself – vocation:
What activities, spaces, or communities feel warm to you? When you let yourself slow down and find stillness, is there a path that stirs up your intuition as the next right step?
What are my highest values? Narrowing down this list (based on gut feelings more than logical explanations!) can help clarify what your motivations are.
Who can I talk to who knows what this dilemma is like? Who can I talk to who has taken risks or pivoted careers?
Questions to ask yourself – lifestyle:
Is it possible for me to incorporate my passions into my life without changing my career? What changes could I afford to make to weave my purpose into my current lifestyle?
What would it look like to split my time between two different jobs or fields?
Could I afford to go from fully remote to hybrid? In-person to remote? How much does my current work environment impact my sense of belonging, social life, confidence, community, rest, or freedom?
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a tried and true resource for creative self-reflection. One of my favorite exercises from the book is to envision yourself having five other lives. What would you be doing in each of them? (Psst—this book is a 12-week course, if you’re looking for varsity level self-reflection!)
Professor Cassie Holmes, in her book about time-poverty describes an exercise to specifically target why you do the things you do. By asking yourself “why is that important to you” five times, you get to the root of your motivation. Once that deepest purpose is distilled, one is better able to understand 1) why (even frustrating) tasks aligned with purpose are easy, 2) why tasks unaligned with purpose feel wasteful, and 3) why tasks in opposition to one’s purpose feel insulting and painful.
Example: In this interview, Cassie does the Five Whys with a podcast host, who identifies an activity that takes up a lot of her time:
Coaching girls sports at her daughter’s school (Cassie: Why?)
“Because I want to support my kids” (Cassie: Why?)
“Because I want to be involved in their lives” (Cassie: Why?)
“Because I want to know them and them to know me” (Cassie: Why?)
“Because I want them to be safe and empowered in the world”
*Then it is clear to the host that coaching soccer is fulfilling and a worthwhile to use time worth committing to
Digging deeper:
Do I believe I am worthy of the things I desire?
Am I allowed to have fun, meaningfulness, or richness in my life?
Do I believe I am allowed to make this decision on my own?
When did I learn not to trust my gut?
Do I feel external pressure from family or a partner regarding my career choices? Does this bring up resentment for me?
Do other people’s perceptions of my career path hold me back?
Can I exonerate my younger self for not knowing any better?
Embracing Discernment for Career Fulfillment
The purpose of this conversation is not to make the claim that any one type of work, ratio of work-life-balance, or professional approach is more valuable than another. We all ought to have compassion for one another in a capitalistic system that is ultimately disinterested in our wellbeing. Whether you are seeking a career more aligned with your values or seeking one with more security and stability (not mutually exclusive, by the way!), you are valid in your choices. Through my lens, discernment is a symptom of knowing one’s self. We wonder about change when we sense a misalignment within us. And to listen to what we know, to feel around inside for what is right—perhaps there is no greater purpose than that.
If you’re navigating a career transition and want support in exploring your values and purpose, our therapists at Waterloo Therapy Group can help. Reach out to schedule a session!
Comments