Life and Career Lesson #1: There is No Plan
False! I disagree with this almost entirely. While the theory behind this Life & Career Lesson is a good one, you should always, always have a plan.
For context, the theory behind the Lesson is simply that life comes out of nowhere. There are always bigger and better things that come along that might advance your career, and if you just make a plan and follow it to the letter, you’ll miss a lot of life’s opportunities.
However, if you don’t have a plan to start your life off in the direction you’d like to go, the opportunities that come along will be less appealing.
I’m going to start my life in the direction of an English/Journalism/Computer Science career, so that the opportunities and change that come to me will be things I’ll be enthusiastic about doing.
I’m sure the issues I have with this point is just the wording of it, but too often I find that books and publications in this genre word things far too vaguely and make too many generalizations.
Life and Career Lesson #2: Think Strengths, Not Weaknesses
Okay, this Lesson is a little better. Basically, when thinking about a career, work toward one that uses your strengths, not things you’re bad at doing.
However, I think “strength” and “weakness” are the wrong words to use here. Your strengths are just things you enjoy doing, so you’re good at them. But you might enjoy something you’re bad at— or hey, you might even want to work to get better at something.
Because, in this case, this Lesson is simply talking about things you do or do not enjoy doing, I agree with it. But again, it’s an issue with word choice. A lot of these books use specific buzz words that take on different meanings, and if, for instance, you didn’t care to read the entirety of Johnny Bunko and just read the Life and Career Lessons as a list, it wouldn’t make much sense at all.
(I will point out, however, that working toward a career that utilizes your strengths requires a plan…)
Life and Career Lesson #3: It’s Not About You
Again, context is probably required: pretty much, this rule means that successful people worry less about themselves and more about helping others.
But I’m under the impression that in order to get to a place in your life where you can afford to worry about other people will require you to worry mainly about yourself.
Also, this is your life. There is no character in this story that is as important as you are, and sometimes you do need to worry about yourself a little. Smile at strangers, and help people along that you’re working with, but don’t let other people dump their problems on you.
Plus, not everyone has heard this rule, and they are quite convinced that it is all about them. Try not to become the person that everyone vents to, as that will get very tiring, very quickly.
You are important, and I, at least, believe that it is mainly about you, but since you’re pretty nice, you can probably help some other people out, right?
False! I disagree with this almost entirely. While the theory behind this Life & Career Lesson is a good one, you should always, always have a plan.
For context, the theory behind the Lesson is simply that life comes out of nowhere. There are always bigger and better things that come along that might advance your career, and if you just make a plan and follow it to the letter, you’ll miss a lot of life’s opportunities.
However, if you don’t have a plan to start your life off in the direction you’d like to go, the opportunities that come along will be less appealing.
I’m going to start my life in the direction of an English/Journalism/Computer Science career, so that the opportunities and change that come to me will be things I’ll be enthusiastic about doing.
I’m sure the issues I have with this point is just the wording of it, but too often I find that books and publications in this genre word things far too vaguely and make too many generalizations.
Life and Career Lesson #2: Think Strengths, Not Weaknesses
Okay, this Lesson is a little better. Basically, when thinking about a career, work toward one that uses your strengths, not things you’re bad at doing.
However, I think “strength” and “weakness” are the wrong words to use here. Your strengths are just things you enjoy doing, so you’re good at them. But you might enjoy something you’re bad at— or hey, you might even want to work to get better at something.
Because, in this case, this Lesson is simply talking about things you do or do not enjoy doing, I agree with it. But again, it’s an issue with word choice. A lot of these books use specific buzz words that take on different meanings, and if, for instance, you didn’t care to read the entirety of Johnny Bunko and just read the Life and Career Lessons as a list, it wouldn’t make much sense at all.
(I will point out, however, that working toward a career that utilizes your strengths requires a plan…)
Life and Career Lesson #3: It’s Not About You
Again, context is probably required: pretty much, this rule means that successful people worry less about themselves and more about helping others.
But I’m under the impression that in order to get to a place in your life where you can afford to worry about other people will require you to worry mainly about yourself.
Also, this is your life. There is no character in this story that is as important as you are, and sometimes you do need to worry about yourself a little. Smile at strangers, and help people along that you’re working with, but don’t let other people dump their problems on you.
Plus, not everyone has heard this rule, and they are quite convinced that it is all about them. Try not to become the person that everyone vents to, as that will get very tiring, very quickly.
You are important, and I, at least, believe that it is mainly about you, but since you’re pretty nice, you can probably help some other people out, right?