What may seem like a harmless
pastime is actually contributing to
his professional dissatisfaction and
restlessness. The more he explores
“other options,” the more confused he
becomes about what he wants to do
with his career, and whether he should
stick with his current situation or make
a change. The more he researches, the
more his brain churns, and it becomes
harder for him to draw on his intuition.
Philip has some well-developed skills
in marketing. He enjoys the field and
feels like he is making a difference.
Each time he starts a new job, he is
enthusiastic about his prospects and
long-term potential. He often thinks: “I
can see myself doing this for ten years!”
But then, without fail, one year into the
job he starts to think about his options
and wonders if he is missing out on a
better opportunity somewhere else.
Soon after, he finds himself staring
bug-eyed at his computer while he
Googles potential career options.
According to psychologist Barr y
Schwartz, Philip is a “Career Maximizer”1.
Career Maximizers are people who are
always looking for a better employment
deal. No matter how good they have it,
they are still wondering, “Is this as good
as it gets?” They are always looking for
ways to raise the stakes to see if they
can squeeze out some incremental
happiness.
About a month ago, and after a
particularly challenging day, Philip
started fantasizing about changing his
career and becoming a ski instructor.
He indulged this idea by exploring
training options, researching jobs at
international ski centres, checking
out the price of real estate at different
Schwartz, Barry. The Paradox of Choice: Why
More is Less. Harper Collins. New York, 2004.
1
resor ts, and reading mar k eting
materials for ski touring companies.
That night he lay awake thinking
about the implications of leaving his
job and hitting the slopes. He tossed
and turned as he did bank balance
calculations in his head and weighed
all the pros and cons. That week he
found it difficult to focus at work and
he began to notice the little negative
details about his current job, like the
stale air in the office building and how
constricted he felt wearing a tie.
Two weeks later, he had a new idea.
“Forget about being a ski instructor,” he
said. “I should be a wellness consultant.”
He spent the night researching
different conferences and speaker bios.
He felt inspired to make a change and
imagined how great his life would be
if he pursued this new career path.
That night he lay awake wondering
how he could switch into this new
area and what steps he would need to
take. He was excited until he thought
about making a change, yet again. It
hit him hard. He just couldn’t seem to
stick to things. Then he felt heavy and
depressed.
Career Maximizers like Philip often
start to think about career options
when a psychological process called
adaptation kicks in. According to
Schwartz, adaptation happens when
we get used to things and we start to
take them for granted. Each time Philip
changes jobs he goes through a careful
process of evaluating his options and
prioritizing which of his values are
most important for him to express.
But, it never fails: two years into the
job he starts to complain and take
these things for granted. He cannot
sustain the feeling of being fulfilled.
Even though this process is normal,
just like the honeymoon phase when
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more reasons…
21:
13:
7:
1:
0:
PD sessions and
workshops
top speakers and
industry experts
breakfasts, lunches,
and refreshment
breaks
extraordinary
event
regrets
WHIST