People ask me what is one of the most important Career challenges that a young Professional who is in the early stages of his/her career faces and how should one deal with this challenge.
In my opinion one of the most important Career Challenges that a Young Professional faces is how they should balance the demands of the work-a-day world with the need to spend quality time with the family.
This challenge is further aggravated considering that these days most families are composed of dual wage earners who are both career focused. The result is a lot of cognitive dissonance in one's life, requiring constant attention and time, which is very scarce during the day, for any professional. Pressures mount as one realizes and feels guilty for not being able to spend enough attention to all aspects of one's life. Often times one finds that too much focus on one of these dimensions can lead to the ruination of the other. Those who put focus on one Dimension remain unhappy and are chastised for not paying attention to the dimension they have been ignoring. They know in their heart of hearts that the neglect of one dimension is not deliberate but it is necessitated by the ever-growing pressures of the other dimensions. So how does one cope i.e. specifically how does one have an aggressive career and associated professional growth and at the same time how does one optimally handle the need for quality time with family and friends?
In my opinion, the two do not usually jive, so trying hard to fulfill the responsibilities of all dimensions all the time is a ticket to disaster. Therefore, what works is to find a very sympathetic partner and to look for Simple Pleasures and quality moments. The trick is not to stress over this inadequacy but to look for positive opportunities to be with the family and to devote the time and energy to one's professional life also. Because I feel, if a young professional is ambitious and finds themselves loosing out on professional success and achievement then the home and family life will suffer, in any case. Those who do well in this regard have a great deal of personal confidence and they find simple pleasures and joys everyday. Early in one's career one should think through this balancing act and how it will impact the way one chooses to live their lives.
One should begin with the end in mind.
