I read this article in the Harvard Business Review yesterday. The author surveyed 30 professionals from 28 to 58 to ask them about their deepest career regrets. I was surprised by the results. In short, they wish they hadn’t taken jobs based on money, had quit earlier to start their own businesses, and had trusted their gut when it came to their careers.
These results encouraged me. As we wind down 2012, I’m making some decisions about where my career will go next. Should I keep freelancing? Should I take a full-time or long-term contract role that has some flexibility so that I can still teach and pursue my creative projects?
I only know one thing for sure – I’m glad I made the leap on June 15th. I’m glad I stepped away from my corporate job to try out this new chapter of my career. This HBR article confirmed for me that no matter what happens next, I will never have to wonder what would have happened if I trusted my gut, quit my job, started my own business, and followed my dream instead of a paycheck. I did all of those things and everything turned out just fine.
We can’t always logically explain our actions. On paper, it looked like a less-than-smart idea to leave my very good job for the sake of following my heart. I just knew when I came back from India that I had to take this adventure and that I needed to take it now. The decision defied any sense of reason. I just knew that I had to take this time and that I had to take this chance, no matter what the outcome.
I much prefer the risk of trying something new over the risk of regret.
Christa Avampato 