13 Jul Puppy Steps to Your Career Goals and Happiness
| The rescue group I volunteer with recently sent out a plea for someone to foster a protective momma dog and her 6 one-week puppies. I have a lot going on right now and promised myself I would take a little fostering break until life isn’t quite so hectic. So, I waited and watched for someone else to step up and say, “I will.” No one did. Reluctantly, I asked my honey what he thought of me fostering this little family. His answer wasn’t at all what I expected and was extremely powerful. “If it makes you happy.” Not, “Are you crazy?” “You don’t have time.” “Let someone else do it.” The things that, if I’m honest, had been running through my own mind. But, “If it makes you happy.” I had to step back and think about that. Would fostering these puppies make me happy? It would disrupt my life, for sure. It would make a mess of my home, reduce my sleep, interrupt my job, and create a whole new set of daily chores. In short, fostering this little family was going to be a lot of work. But, yes, ultimately it would make me happy. So, I’m now the proud foster mom of Momma and her five puppies.  Oh sure, all the extra work and drawbacks I knew would come with the experience are definitely here, but it is worth it. I get to witness these adorable little puppies grow, explore, learn, play, eat, tumble and bark for the first time. Let me tell you, there is nothing cuter than a two-week-old puppy bark! And several times a day, I crawl into their x-pen where 6 little fluff balls waddle over, scramble to sit on my lap and chew the heck out of my shoelaces. And, boy, am I ever happy in those moments. Fostering these babies has been a great reminder that sometimes you need to look past the downsides and work through the hard, the disruptive, the pain, and the change to get to the happy. Avoiding the hard work it takes to get there means you miss out on the good stuff. If you miss out on your happiness because you are getting stuck looking past the hard work and mess to get there, I want you to stop. If you are avoiding changing jobs, going back to school, pivoting your career, or asking for a raise because it may be difficult, make today the day you take that first step and begin wading through hard parts to get to the good. I’m not talking about a leap, just a step forward. And then, you can take another small step after that. Trust me, I know it can be hard to see past all the obstacles, and sometimes naysayers when working toward a goal. But the time will pass anyway. So, in that time you can still be overwhelmed by the many reasons not to pursue it or be that much closer to what will make you happy. I hope you choose happy. I want you to choose happy. And when you realize your goal, it will be even more rewarding and satisfying knowing all that you went through to get there. At that moment, I know you will be even more happy and excited than I am in a pile of puppies. Here’s your action item: let me know the first puppy step you are going to take towards your happy! Here’s to your career success, Christy For more career inspiration and advice, Your Personal Career Coach is HUGELY discounted on Amazon. With over 100 career stories from 25 contributors, it covers everything from interviewing and networking to managing teams and working with the boss. It’ll be your go-to guide for years to come. Trust me, it is far more valuable than the price |