Simple trick to figure out what you'll be great at in life

amother

Coral

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 11:42 pm

Nice topic!

I'm curious to hear your opinion about my 'career path'..

As a teenager I wished to be a teacher.
Out of 90 girls in my entire seminary class only 3 girls landed a teaching position. I was one of the lucky ones. Approx 50 girls applied for the job. I loved my job, preparations, my students, workmates. The students knew their work, and parents were happy. But my boss was impossible. Whatever I did, she had something negative to say. I finished the year and gave up the job. 15 years later I still wish to go back and teach those adorable 6th graders.
However the $200/weekly wage is going to cover a third of my rent... A young teacher is by far more ambitious and has so much more time to prepare...blabla, it's just not the ideal setup for someone in my stage.
I've headed an extra curricular program for several years and then opened my own business, something I really enjoy and am great at! It was one of my strongest points since I was born, but I still miss teaching terribly. It hurts me when I think about the wonderful teaching experience I had but gave it up for reasons other than not being successful or enjoying it.
Many teachers left after their first year for the same reason I did. I'm confident that the problem was not with me..

So where does that Bill Gates trick leave me?
I work in a field that is cut for me. I enjoy it.
Maybe if I'd teach another year or two and satisfied my wish to teach I'd truly love my current job? and not wish to still go back and teach?!

amother

Jade

Mon, Apr 01 2019, 12:14 am

So if someone was an apprentice for a shoemaker should he go back to that?

I grew up knowing that success means being able to make a good meal bake tons host guest keep a clean home cater your own simcha and sew your own dresses.
That's what I primarily did in my teenage years.

I am a failure by all those standards.

What's Bill Gates advice to peasants like me?

amother

Coral

Mon, Apr 01 2019, 12:40 am

seeker wrote:

As a person with a successful career, maybe you can teach one class that is related to your field. A lot of people do a little teaching on the side.

Thank you so much for your time!
I really appreciate your very appropriate suggestion!
I Will look into it. Might really be a good idea! some schools offer this class for their 12th grade.

imorethanamother

Mon, Apr 01 2019, 12:45 am

amother wrote:

Im OP.

I was a Bais Yaakov girl in an open minded home, and all I obsessed about was the super achiever cute boy I knew, who never made it at a career or business, lived on parents' money all his life, and never got married. Hes in his upper sixties.

So what will I be good at?

This is so, so sad.

ggdm

Mon, Apr 01 2019, 5:07 pm

I obsessed over Judaism - should I become a rabbi Wink

Jokes aside, I think there us a point. Whatever you truly enjoy and are passionate about is most likely what you are good at. Once you are an adult with responsibilities and a fixed job and so on, you probably don't have so much time to go exploring and trying new stuff. So ideally you find as a teenager something you really enjoy. At that point in life you still have the freedom to do things that don't bring money. And school and extra-currucular activities bring you in contact with lots of things, much more than later in adult life. So if you find something you love then, it is ideal. Later it will be more difficult.

A point to consider will probably be the question of WHY you enjoy something. If you enjoy baking, do you enjoy making food (become a chef), mixing things to form something new (become a chemist), organizing a meal (become a project manager), work with people (become a manager), share your knowledge (become a teacher), do something for others (become a caregiver), ... and so on.

amother

Saddlebrown

Mon, Apr 01 2019, 5:52 pm

I was obsessed with figure skating as a teen. Then became more religious & it was not a fit.

As a bubbie I still tried a couple of times in the last decade & my center of gravity seems to have shifted (or my confidence). I still have hopes of trying a bit, but I don't think a career is part of it.

I would love to use my screen name, but I feel like too many people might then know who I am.

penguin

Mon, Apr 01 2019, 5:54 pm

I heard a talk about this once.

There were three questions. I think (please correct if you have it more precisely) :
-what do you love to do?
-what makes you feel accomplished?
-what have you done (or do you want to do) to benefit the world (or klal yisroel)?

Find the intersection of these three.

trixx

Mon, Apr 01 2019, 7:00 pm

penguin wrote:

The Japanese call this ikigai.