6 Personal Life Challenges You’ll Face in Your Career
You can think of your career kind of how you think of life. There will be ups, downs, and in-betweens. You’re going to have moments when you feel on top of the world and other times when you feel you can’t catch a break.
If you’ve been working long enough, you know exactly how it is. But for those of you just starting out, expect that your career will have many twists and turns.
Here are six personal life challenges you can expect to face in your career.
Work-life balance
In the early days of your career, things might feel easy. If you’re committed to working hard to get ahead, you might not mind staying late every night, and you may consider international travel to get ahead. Once you settle down and start a family of your own, this becomes a challenge. From the moment you start your pregnancy journey, it’s easy to see how your work-life balance is going to change. You may still enjoy work and your family life, but it’s a process to find that work-life balance that makes you feel like you’re excelling at both.
Give yourself some time and patience with the process.
Burnout
If you’re hustling to get ahead in your career, there’s a good chance you’re pushing yourself too hard. This can happen seasonally, or it may be what’s expected of you in a competitive industry. If you work in retail, expect to have crazy holiday hours. If you’re a CPA, tax season is going to feel like it never ends.
Remember to take care of yourself as much as possible. Because at the end of the day, you’re only as good as your health. If you work yourself to the bone and don’t have anything left to give, you’re not doing anyone any favors.
Feeling stuck in a rut
Even if you work in a fast-paced industry, you can get the feeling that you’re stuck in a rut. If you’ve been in the same position for a few years or are growing bored of your responsibilities, you may have that “career-life crisis” where you ask yourself if it’s time to change careers.
No one can answer this question but you. Just be sure this isn’t a phase before you make any hasty decisions. If you’ve already spent years on one career, it’s a big decision to throw that away and start over.
Failure
Everyone fails, and the most successful people have come to terms with this fact. That’s why there’s a term called “failing forward.” If you don’t try, you’ll never succeed. So go ahead and pitch your ideas to the boss, go for that promotion and take calculated risks. Failure is the worst that could happen if you do. And if you don’t, you could be turning your back on success.
Moral gray areas
There are times in most people’s careers where they’re asked to do morally questionable things. This happens more often in small companies without an established company culture, but you should be prepared nonetheless. Remember, you are the only one who will have to answer for your actions, so don’t put your morals on the line for anyone.
Job loss
Whether it’s for a performance issue or downsizing, most people experience job loss at one time or another in their careers. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but don’t let it get you down. Consider this one step in the process towards something even greater.
Your life will go through many changes in your career, and some will feel especially challenging. But remember that these are changes that most people endure, and it’s possible to overcome them and maintain success.