How To Build a Great Career Without Regrets

Man discussing how to build a great career without regrets

How to Build a Great Career Without Regrets

No one wants to live a life full of regrets. Professionally, the fear of regret can stall success by delaying big decisions. Maybe you’re on the job hunt and you aren’t taking a chance on the dream job that’s open. Or maybe you are established in your career but not progressing how you’d like for fear of making a mistake.

How do you build a great career without regrets? Follow these four strategies to seize the moment – and your career.

Define your Passion & Find a Career that Fulfills It

It’s important to find a career you’re passionate about. After all, you spend a good chunk of time at your job and with your colleagues. Start with a personality assessment to discover which career you’re most suited for based on your key traits. Putting time upfront to discover more about yourself and your passions will leave fewer chances for regret down the line.

Once you’ve identified your passions, start searching for career paths that fulfill that. Let’s say you’re passionate about helping people. Career paths that align with that include healthcare, client services, or real estate. A possible next step is to shadow or intern in the career paths you’re interested in. Once you’ve learned a bit more, determine if the field requires additional education or certifications. If you need more insight on career exploration, we’d love to hear from you.

Set Goals & Establish Check-ins

Whether you’re at your dream job or looking for your dream job, you need goals! Define them, write them down, and refer to them often. If you already have your dream job but need to take the next step, one goal could be to gain more experience so you qualify to be promoted. Hold yourself accountable to your goals by establishing regular check-ins. The best goals are SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

When you have clear goals that you set and reach regularly, regret doesn’t have much room to work.This is crucial when understanding how to build a career without regrets.

Balance Your Time

As you progress in your career, don’t neglect to make time for friends, family, and yourself. Your profession should be a part of you, not all of you. Schedule time for rest and relaxation – things that make you happy. Make time for yourself a priority, even if it’s something small like taking a nap on the weekends or snuggling up with a great book. Striking the balance between work life and personal life is so important to remain guilt- and regret-free.

No Regrets, Just Readjustments

“I wish I had more time for ___.” “I regret not doing ___.” “Time flew by and I never ___.”

Life is all about choices. You can choose to have regrets or you can reflect, make readjustments, and move forward.

If you feel like your career path isn’t aligning with your purpose, get in touch with us. We work with individuals who are ready to make a change in their lives and discover a passionate career path.

Would you like to learn more about how to build a great career without regrets? The Wilbanks Consulting Group can help.