4 key steps in building the career you love while also building a family
Are you building the career you love and always dreamed of?
As you grow and start to have more responsibilities, making money becomes either a want and/or a need. And once an adult with kids, money is simply a need. But you will quickly realize that if you continue a job without loving it, you will hate leaving your kids (even more) then you already do every day. It’s time to focus on building the career you love.
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A job vs. a career
The first job I ever had was babysitting. I babysit my neighbors’ children when I was in high school. I then got a second, more consistent job as a waitress over the weekend.
I want you to now think back to your first job, ever. These jobs served two main purposes:
1. Get you money
2. Let you explore different work industries that COULD become a career
With jobs you want to learn which one’s interest you and which ones you never want to do again. With a career, it is something you want to do and decide to pursue. A career path tells you what you are good at and can do for years to come.
I realized I have a job and never built a career, or I built a career out of a job I did/do not like.
The reality of a job when you become an adult is that you will need one in order to pay your bills and put food on the table. And then when you have kids, you have the added responsibility of a child. For this reason, you often see parents who are working jobs night and day to provide for their family, but not truly enjoying it.
They may be unhappy or fulfilled at that job. Also, they may have other passions or interests that they did not pursue because it did not pay well, they never took the steps, or they needed a job to pay the current bills.
Why does this happen? Life, kids, bills – you want stability, and you need to provide. But what if you can provide while doing what you love?
Check out my other blog posts:
- https://workingmombalanced.com/5-steps-to-a-strong-morning-routine-for-working-moms/
- https://workingmombalanced.com/the-best-time-to-create-strong-daily-routines-for-your-child/
- https://workingmombalanced.com/8-must-have-for-the-daily-routine-of-a-baby/
- https://workingmombalanced.com/daily-routine-schedule-for-working-moms/
How do I build a career when I am tight on money, I have a family to feed, and the bills need to get paid.
Sometimes you need that CURRENT job, and that is okay. What you can do is get yourself a job while you build yourself a career simultaneously.
Here are 4 steps to follow towards your journey of reaching those dreams —
#1. Explore, identify, understand your passion/ interests
If you are stuck on what exactly is your “thing” then you need to step back and do some reflecting and sketching. Some questions to consider:
- When I am ____ I feel the happiest?
- People ask me for advice or look for me when they need to ______.
- What ignites my soul?
- What do I love to do in my spare time?
- What am I good at?
#2. Research that passion/interest and different types of careers in that industry
When doing your research, you need to ask yourself a few questions to help you plan ahead.
- What do you need in order to complete this goal?
- How much does it cost?
- How much time do you need to dedicate to learning how to master this skill?
#3. Make a plan
What is your current schedule? When can you fit in time to take a course, or watch YouTube video tutorials etc.? Or HOW can you make time? Then, buy a physical calendar or use a digital calendar to write down exactly when and where you will execute each step towards achieving that end goal.
#4. Execute on your plan
This is when you buckle down and actually fulfill the goals that you have. It’s one thing to make a plan and another to say you are “too tired” or “so exhausted” to do anything. That is why you need to work on building a strong mindset first and be sure to follow a path that excites you. Check out this self-care post to start building up your mindset.
During this phase, make sure to have an accountability partner who is pushing you along the way during those tough moments too.
BONUS: Before you do all of this, create a vision board of what your ideal life would look like. Make it visual. Post it up somewhere that you can see every day. Keep it there as motivation!
I know what you may be thinking…this is a lot harder than what you think.
Trust me – I know. I was that college student who took on many different jobs, saved her money and began searching for the career of her dreams working with the youth in the city. I did not know exactly where I would land but I knew what excited me. THAT is what you need to hold on to so that you don’t give up.
Yes, sacrifices will need to be made. And when you already have kids in the picture, you have to make decisions not just for you but for the family. However, I strongly believe that living a life that you HATE is not the answer. You will quickly burn out and it will affect your relationship with other people and things around you.
>>>> Are you following your dream career or stuck at a needed job?
Share below your thoughts in the comments!
