“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The best thing to do is get off and board the right train.
Did you make a career decision that you now regret? Do you now feel that your talents and skills are better used and served elsewhere?
Let me tell you about John (not his real name). John was one of my high school students when I was a chemistry teacher.
I was shocked when John told me that he was going to major in chemistry. Everyone who knew John also knew of his love for computer-related materials. He was the one who fixed gaming consoles for his friends.
John even purchased computer science books with money from his savings. He used these books to teach himself various programming languages. He did this because the school did not offer coding or programming.
I asked John why chemistry and not computer science. He said that he could always teach himself computer science. But he could not teach himself chemistry. Four years later when I met up with John, sure enough, he had graduated with a chemistry degree. However, he explained to me that he had not enjoyed studying most aspects of chemistry.
According to John, he did not want to disappoint his parents. That was the only reason he had graduated with a chemistry degree. Also, switching to another major would have ended up being too costly.
I asked him what his plans were now. He said that he was going to work for a while, save some money and then send himself back to school. Even if it meant that he would have to obtain a student loan or do online classes.
He was going to do computer science. He knew now that it was more than just a hobby. It was what he wanted to be doing.
Ironically, right after John and I spoke, I received an email from another past student of mine. I will call this student Tom.
Tom was letting me know that he wanted to switch his major to chemistry. He realized that he was willing to stay up late and solve chemistry problems more than anything else. He wanted to know what my thoughts on his decision were. I told him that I could not say what would be the right choice for him. However, if after careful thought and self-examination, he genuinely believed that chemistry is right for him, then he should go for it 100%.
Does it mean that twenty years from now he will be working in the chemistry field? I wish I had a crystal ball to know the answer. The one thing that I do know is that he is free to change his mind if he no longer wants to be doing chemistry.
It is OK to switch directions
In our short life span, we are capable of being many things and we should not voluntarily put ourselves in ‘boxes’ by thinking that we must stay on the career path we have initially chosen. For example, a former colleague told me of a doctor who went on to become a lawyer after his children were all grown.
In the article “Remember these 5 things when you are struggling to figure your career/life out”, I wrote that there are some people who know the path they should be on. They have followed that path from birth.
However, many of us went off the path quite frequently and as a result, ended up in the forest. If we had kept on the ‘right’ path we would have ended up at our destination sooner. But we would have missed the lake and the beautiful trees that were in the forest. Many of us have become the person that we are today because of the different paths that we have taken.
Does this mean that you must get off track on purpose? Well, sometimes yes. When life leads you in a direction in which you no longer feel comfortable, feel free to make a change.
Many people may feel that John wasted four years of his life pursuing chemistry. However, it is because of those ‘wasted’ years that I know John will excel in computer science.
He has delved into quantum mechanics and explored the wonders of metaphysics. He stretched his mind to the limit while completing his Chemistry degree. This was all in preparation for his future.
I wish I could tell you that making a change is easy. The truth of the matter is that we cannot snap our fingers and change direction. There are things to consider such as our finances and our relationships with others.
But because something is not easy, does not mean that it can’t be done. With careful planning and strong determination, it is entirely possible.
So, make the best decision that you can today and in this present moment. If the time should ever come when you believe that a decision is no longer right for you, feel free to change and proceed in another direction.
You will be OK!
***At the time of writing this article, John is now working as a software engineer. Tom has completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry.
© Jacquline Dacres 2023. All Rights Reserved