Balancing Passion and Practicality in Career Choices

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It’s Sunday, 7th April 2024, and in this week’s roundup, learn in 5 minutes or less:

• Career Advice: How to balance passion and practicality with career choices

• Productivity: Science-backed productivity tips and why downtime is important

• Weekly round-up: What else happened this week, from Diddy Combs's remaining under federal investigation to Twitter, now known as X, giving away free blue ticks to popular users…

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NEED TO KNOW

This week, the key things you need to know are:

• Stock - S&P 500 2% dip. Is the bull run over?

• Cryptocurrency - SEC to approve spot Ethereum ETF, says JP Morgan

• Careers Advice - Does ChatGPT give better advice than your boss?

• Economy - The US Treasury secretary is worried that cheap Chinese goods will damage the world economy.

CAREER CORNER

As we journey through life, we're often told to follow our passion when choosing a career path. But as much as we'd like to, it's not always the most practical option. Some passions, just do not pay great - le’s be honest!

So, how do we strike a balance between passion and practicality in our career choices?

Let's face it: As adults, we all have bills, and sometimes, passion doesn't pay the bills. I mean, I love taking a mid-afternoon nap, but unfortunately, it's not a career choice (although I would be the best in the business). Very similar to Drake, I really do love my bed. 😃 

All jokes aside, it's essential to consider the practical aspects of a career, such as job security, salary, and growth opportunities. However, it's also crucial to find a career that ignites your passion and keeps you motivated to excel.

One way to balance passion and practicality is to identify what you're passionate about and find ways to incorporate it into your career. For example, if you love helping people, you can pursue a career in teaching, healthcare or social work. If you're passionate about technology, you can explore a career in software development or becoming a solutions architect.

But what if your passion doesn't align with practicality? In that case, it's important to evaluate your priorities and make informed decisions. Sometimes, it may mean making sacrifices, such as taking a lower salary to pursue your passion or finding a way to balance your passion with a practical career choice.

It's important to remember that practicality doesn't have to mean sacrificing your passion entirely. There are often ways to incorporate your passions into your work, even if it's not your primary job function. For example, if you're passionate about art, you could explore opportunities to work with a marketing team to create visually appealing materials or offer to design a new logo for the company.

Additionally, passion can be developed over time. It's not always something that we're born with or immediately known. Sometimes it takes trying different things and exploring different career paths to find what ignites our passion. Don't be afraid to try new things, even if they seem outside of your comfort zone.

Remember, passion doesn't always equate to happiness. It's important to find a career that not only aligns with your passions but also provides you with a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Sometimes, practicality can even lead to a passion for a new field or industry that you didn't initially consider.

GET MORE SH*T DONE

Why You Need to Take Breaks. Don’t let hustle culture make you feel guilty for taking a mental break.

It wasn’t until I started working in corporate that I started eating lunch at my desk and feeling bad for taking a proper 1-hour break and going for a walk.

Instead of sitting around a communal table or going out for a leisurely lunch hour, my colleagues would bring microwaved leftovers to their desk or sprint down to the canteen to grab a sandwich and chips before plopping back down and resuming their work. There was always too much to be done. Deadlines to hit and deliverables to complete.

In our always on, 100% hustle, productivity at all costs culture, it’s hard to justify taking a few minutes to yourself during the workday, let alone a full lunch hour. Even a recent Apple ad celebrated entrepreneurs working so hard, they’re not able to see their children.

But this style of working is unsustainable. We physically can’t work at 100% capacity, 100% of the time.

We need breaks. And not just as temporary escapes from the pressures of work. Done properly, breaks can reduce mental fatigue, boost brain function and creativity, and actually keep us on-task for longer periods of time. Ironically, the more time we take off, the more we’re able to work.

So how do you take a proper break? Here are 7 science-backed studies that can help you maximize your downtime.

BEST FROM TIKTOK THIS WEEK

@soambitiousdomm

Passions do not always pay #passion #careerchoices #careeradvice

LEVEL UP

If you want a promotion or a raise in 2024, Indeed has some tips just for you.

• Ask for feedback from your supervisor. ...

• Get noticed in your workplace. ...

• Demonstrate your leadership skills. ...

• Identify and solve problems. ...

• Become a positive presence in your workplace. ...

• Maintain a strong work ethic. ...

• Motivate yourself constantly.

Check out the blog on some of the effective strategies here.

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MEMES & BANTER

BEFORE YOU GO

Celebrity News: Sean ‘Diddy” Combs remains under federal investigation in his trafficking cases. Diddy’s former girlfriend, Cassie, has been cooperating with authorities for several weeks. Read more here

Business: Employers in the US added more than 300,000 jobs last month - the biggest gain in almost a year - as the boom in the world's largest economy continued. The jobless rate fell to 3.8%, as most sectors, including health care, construction, and the government, added roles, the Labor Department said. Read more here

Tech:  X, formerly Twitter, gives free blue ticks to its most popular users. People with more than 5,000 verified followers have been given free access to Premium+, which removes almost all adverts and ranks their tweets even higher when replying to another person. Read more here

Travel: Airline passengers at major airports will continue to face limits on the amount of liquid they can carry in hand luggage this summer after the deadline for new scanners was extended. Major airports will be allowed by the government to miss the latest roll-out date for installing scanners to end the 100ml liquid limit. London Gatwick, Heathrow, and Manchester airports are not expected to have the technology in place in time for 1 June. Read more here

QUOTES & MOTIVATION

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