Maximizing talent: using your gifts to their fullest potential

Have you ever wondered why the prevailing attitude in life seems to be "90% of people don't like their jobs, but have to do them to survive?"

After a good deal of thinking about the subject, I've drawn a few conclusions of my own as to why so many people find themselves in unfulfilling careers. While it's true that "the world needs janitors, fast food workers, and garbage men," my target audience here are those people that have enough intelligence, education, and resources available to them to choose which field they would like to get into.

So if someone has all of these resources at their disposal, why then do they end up in careers that don't suit them and play to their strengths?

1. Studies have shown that income level has very little bearing on career fulfillment. Surprising though it may be, a large salary often does not make up for a poor-fit career.
2. Often people place too much emphasis on salary and too little on a career that fits their particular skillset.
3. Every career will involve some degree of menial tasks. Since this is true, every career will involve some degree of boredom.
4. By and large, interpersonal relationships determine career fulfillment. If you work with supportive, friendly people, your job will be more fulfilling no matter WHAT it is.
5. Work-life balance are much more important than modern employers give credit to. Many are finally realizing this. Even a great career turns into a nightmare if it takes 100 hours per week.

Therefore, the key is to find a career that is both challenging and utilizes the particular skills that play to that worker's strengths. How does one do that? Simple. Don't be afraid to switch careers. Often people end up feeling "stuck" in a job they're in because staying put is easier than moving on. This is the same reason that a lot of individuals stay in relationships that don't work for them. Staying and being miserable isn't easy, but at least it's familiar and you've "figured it out." Eliminating uncertainty is often easier than venturing out into the great unknown, but it is not often a good long-term solution. The old adage "nothing ventured nothing gained" is completely true. Sure, once in a great while you mise, but most people with unfulfilling careers have chosen to be in that situation.

Think of workers as potential gamblers walking into a casino. Gambler A, Gambler B, and Gambler C walk into the casino at the same time.

Gambler A looks around, has a drink, and surveys the situation. She makes the rounds and watches the dealers at every table. Before she even went inside she read up on all the games and figured out her betting style. Based on these criteria, she sits down at the Blackjack table and walks out with twice the money she went in with. She spends the rest of her vacation with her family. She goes home with a smile on her face and decent winnings.

Gambler B sits down at the first available poker table because he sees the words "high stakes" and begins playing. While he manages to win a great deal of money, he spends his entire vacation sitting at the table playing poker. He leaves feeling monetarily successful but empty as he has ignored his family the entire time and did not have much of a vacation at all.

Gambler C sits down at the 50cents/$1 buy-in hold'em table, the lowest stakes table available. He starts playing, wins a little, loses a little, but overall comes out slightly ahead. He sees other tables, sees other people winning, wants to move, but feels he's at the table that's the safe bet.

Which gambler do you think is the happiest? The moral is, take appropriate risks and balance the parts of your life appropriately. I feel this is the secret to a fulfilling career.