Keeping Our Ears to the Ground

I have a pretty basic question for you this week. Should we ever stop being open to new possibilities concerning our career? I mean, should we ever stop thinking about the potential of something different, something challenging, something better?

If any of my past employers would have asked me that question while I was still on their payroll, the answer would most certainly have been, “Yes. I cannot possibly imagine anything more satisfying or rewarding than working for you.” Which at various times in my career would have been the truth. I have been blessed to work with and for some wonderful people who have taught me much.

And this is a tricky issue for me, because I am a big believer in contentment. I watch people waste so many good years waiting for things to be better or sacrificing way too much to “make it,” but they never do. Because you never can. If our motivation is getting more stuff or having a fatter savings account or a larger investment portfolio, then the wheel never stops spinning. We can’t “make it” when the bar is constantly being moved higher.

That is not what I’m talking about. I am referring to the spark inside that keeps us on our toes and open to new ideas. It is the balance between being grateful for what we have and being curious about needs that are not being met. In my career, there has always seemed to come a time when I started wondering if there was a new way to apply what I was doing, or if a slight shift in focus might open up new opportunities.

That was certainly the case when I started SalesTouches.com last year. A few of my regular writing clients were cutting back, and I needed to explore new applications of my skills. When requests for a couple e-mail newsletters were made and research uncovered a gaping hole in the market for businesses and organizations looking for more than an online, do-it-yourself option, I was off and running.

This is where I would love to say, “and the rest is history,” but I’m not quite there yet. I’ll keep you posted.

So even after I owned my own business for seven years, I was still changing, adapting and getting excited about new opportunities. I guess I have answered my own question. You don’t have to leave your job to take on new challenges, just find a way to do it better, and always keep your ear to the ground.