My 11-Year Quest for Finding the Ideal Career

My search for a joyful and meaningful career and the ways I overcame the obstacles I encountered

Nov 09, 2023

Read time: 25 minutes

Many people believe that finding a career you enjoy is impossible. People think work is solely for money and lacks meaning and control, causing frustration. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to embrace this belief.

In this article, I'll share my 11-year journey to find a fulfilling career, including what I tried, my challenges, and the key steps to finding and pursuing your dream career.

Summary

To create a career you genuinely love, embrace these three principles:

1. Believe in the possibility of your ideal work life. Dream big and add constraints later.

2. Trust your feelings about a job as much as your thoughts. Collect accurate emotional data to guide your career choices.

3. Approach your ideal career ideas as hypotheses, subject to investigation. Test them through clever experiments, learn from the results, iterate, and make your perfect career a reality.

In truth, my adventure was far from smooth, with a mix of successes, struggles, and self-doubts. If you are ready, let's explore the real story. 🙂

Graduation and My First Attempt

Throughout my student life, I constantly strived for success and invested substantial effort. Fortunately, my efforts bore fruit. I became the first-ranked student among nearly 2 million candidates in the Turkish university entrance exam. Subsequently, I graduated second in my class while studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bogazici University. These accomplishments have instilled in me the belief that my hard work has fulfilled my obligations and entitles me to a career that brings joy, meaning, and comfort.

With high hopes, I joined McKinsey & Company as a consultant after graduation in 2009, expecting it to bring me happiness, contentment, and personal success. I was attracted to McKinsey's recruitment of the best and brightest minds, the opportunity to work closely with CEOs on impactful projects, and an attractive salary. McKinsey seemed to offer everything I desired on paper.

Over time, my initial perception didn't align with my experience. While my colleagues were brilliant and my salary was good, I was unhappy. The frequent late nights working until 3 a.m. left me drained, and I discovered that I didn't find the analysis and presentation preparation fulfilling. In addition, the constant pressure of tight deadlines added stress and a strong feeling of inadequacy. After two years, I began questioning whether I could continue on this path.

Eventually, I decided to leave McKinsey, a pivotal moment in pursuing meaningful work. I would no longer compromise my well-being and happiness for money or to uphold an image of success. So, my experience at McKinsey provided the main principles for my career choices that followed.

Trial and Error Phase

After leaving McKinsey, I embarked on a four-year journey through different careers, driven by the desire to find fulfillment. I founded two startups and worked as a venture capitalist. I also tried product management. However, a consistent pattern emerged. Even though I started each endeavor with optimism and high motivation, after around a year, I consistently found aspects of the role that didn't align with my aspirations, prompting me to pursue a new career.

The repetitive pattern of false hope wasn't due to insufficient effort or research. I diligently gathered information, sought advice, and employed techniques like listing pros and cons, scoring criteria, and evaluating my core competencies against job requirements. However, these logical methods failed to capture one crucial aspect: how I would feel at the role day to day.

Looking back, the gap in my decision-making process became apparent: I was assessing potential careers solely on a cognitive level, ignoring the vital consideration of how the day-to-day realities of the roles would make me feel. Nevertheless, my journey had its gains. I was maintaining a healthy work-life balance, far from the exhaustive days I had experienced at McKinsey, and I was continually learning what didn't work for me.

Ultimately, my career exploration led me to the Bay Area, where I spent two months evaluating if I could find happiness and a suitable job overseas. During that period, I concluded that I could enjoy life equally in Turkey or abroad, and my decision would hinge on the job opportunity. After receiving three offers, I chose to work for Meta, then known as Facebook, in their London office in 2016. I was very excited and hopeful that my career at Meta would provide intellectual and emotional fulfillment.

The Awakening at Meta

Striving to Improve the Role

As a Client Solutions Manager at Meta, my initial experience was overwhelmingly positive. I was surrounded by a remarkable group of teammates and my manager, who were intellectually gifted and deeply caring. Also, the company provided an abundance of perks, a flexible work environment, and a commitment to providing resources without reservation. The freedom, autonomy, and support provided indeed showed their commitment to employee care. These advantages, combined with the frequent travels to Istanbul for client visits, provided a unique opportunity to live abroad while avoiding homesickness.

As time progressed, challenges gradually emerged. My main job was to help important clients use Meta's marketing tools effectively. However, understanding how to optimize ads within Meta's system was a big challenge. I was unable to give accurate advice, so I felt unsuccessful. Additionally, occasional product issues upset clients, and I had to handle their frustration. Moreover, some clients were hesitant or slow to act on my advice, so I had to remind and push them repeatedly, which became exhausting.

Despite the hurdles, I was committed to overcoming these challenges, given Meta's value and the many positives I associated with the company. I worked towards enhancing my focus on deeper, valuable analysis, directing my energy towards productive clients, and striving not to take client frustrations to heart. Though my confidence took a hit due to the inaccuracy of my optimization suggestions, I worked on managing this feeling of inadequacy. Despite some degree of improvement in my role fulfillment, it became apparent that I didn't enjoy the role and wasn't a long-term fit. Subsequently, I explored other job opportunities within Meta to remain in the company. However, I soon discovered none of these roles appealed to me, leading to an overwhelming hopelessness.

Considering Early Retirement

Even though I'd tried six different careers, including the one at Meta, I hadn't been truly content in any. However, Meta was near perfect in all other aspects, leading me to think that it would be nearly impossible to be happy elsewhere if I couldn't be satisfied here. I blamed myself and felt ungrateful, not valuing what I had. But, despite this guilt, I couldn't convince myself to stick with the role. Looking back, it's clear my issues were not solely tied to the roles. I had unhelpful beliefs and wrong attitudes, which my 2016 self was unaware of, so I had to work with what I had at the time.

After feeling hopeless and questioning my suitability for work, I stumbled upon the FIRE movement, which stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The core concept behind FIRE is that if you save enough money and significantly reduce your spending, living without relying on traditional employment is possible. However, upon conducting careful calculations, I realized that retiring is simply not achievable for me.

Yet, this realization offered me a silver lining. If I was open to retirement, essentially accepting not to make money, I realized I could look for a career where the priority was my happiness, not income. This sparked the question: How do I find such a career? The last thing I wanted was to embark on a new career only to discover after a year that it wasn't a good fit. Such an approach was costly, time-consuming, and demanding in terms of effort. Thus, I needed a more effective strategy, and thankfully, I found one.

My Savior: “Designing Your Life”

Thanks to a friend, I stumbled upon the book "Designing Your Life." The title instantly piqued my curiosity. Its promise was intriguing: "How to build a well-lived, joyful life" using design thinking principles. The fact that the authors were the founders of Stanford's Life Design Lab added substantial weight to the book's credentials. Hence, I decided to give it a shot.

As I delved into the book, I encountered truly eye-opening ideas. These new insights illuminated my persistent question: "Why couldn't I find the right role despite trying five different roles?" The especially unique ideas were:

Designing a fulfilling work life isn't an engineering problem where a single best solution exists, and the goal is optimization. It's a design problem. There is not just one, but several good career paths for you. So, adopting a designer's mindset is essential.
When designing a fulfilling life, the "customer" you serve is yourself. Therefore, the first step is to understand your true wants, and there are systematic ways to aid this discovery.
Emotions are integral to decision-making. Neglecting your feelings might result in ill-suited career choices, ultimately causing dissatisfaction.
Our ability to foresee how we will feel about the career we design is often flawed, so prototyping is necessary. You can avoid many mistakes by testing and creating prototypes before committing fully.

With these ideas in mind, I applied the step-by-step methodology outlined in the book to design a new work-life tailored to my needs. Now, let me share my personal experience and the transformation it brought about.

Workview and Lifeview

As my initial step in shaping this new work life, I focused on understanding what I really wanted since I was tailoring it for myself. My journey began with the book advising me to create a compass made up of "workview" and "lifeview". I intended to unravel why I lived and worked and identify what makes both meaningful. A few example questions to aid in this discovery were:

Why do you work?
What makes good work good?
What is the good life for you?
What gives life meaning?
How do you live it?

During this process, another helpful question I asked myself was, "What would life and work look like if I had a billion dollars?" Often, money worries limit people's dreams. When you lift that barrier, you get to what you genuinely want.

Delving deep into the "why"s of my desires was like laying a firm foundation for a building. With a solid base in place, I could construct anything on top. This sturdy foundation gave me a reliable compass pointing towards my "True North." These foundational truths would guide me back if I ever found myself off-course.

I started by writing my “workview”. Upon writing it, a series of insights emerged.

At the heart of it, work should be a source of joy and a platform for growth and profound learning.
I should feel competent and successful in what I undertake.
The type of work that aids me or those I care for and solves significant issues gives me a deep sense of satisfaction.
On the monetary front, the work had to provide just enough for my interests - such as learning, travel, and health.

Moving on to sketch my lifeview, I penned down several insights, such as:

I exist to enjoy life and spend quality time with those I love.
Learning new things brings me immense joy - it may not be the sole purpose of my life, but it's indispensable for a fulfilling existence.
Helping those in need, especially those I feel close to, is essential.
Doing good for people, treating them fairly and honestly, and helping them improve their lives are noble actions.

I wrote my workview and lifeview in 2017, six years ago. Reflecting now, it's striking how these insights correctly captured what truly matters to me, demonstrating impressive coherence. As the years have passed, these guiding principles remain as precious to me as they were, thus embodying a trustworthy compass.

Penning down my workview and lifeview represented the initial phase of self-discovery. The journey continued with a subsequent stage, shedding light on my preferences on a much more granular level.

Good Time Journal

To better understand myself, the second step was a daily log of my activities. It wasn't just about what I did but also about how I felt about them, an exercise the book refers to as the "Good Time Journal." The focus was on understanding how I felt on two dimensions - engagement and energy.

For every task, I marked down my engagement level, trying to understand how engaged I was or if I was in the state of "flow." Simultaneously, I would note my energy levels after completing the task, identifying if I felt exhausted or energized.

Given our tendency to inaccurately remember past emotions, I made these entries daily during weekdays for a more accurate capture. I then spent time on the weekends reflecting on and analyzing the week's data and identifying patterns.

I extended this process for three weeks since some tasks at work didn't occur every week. This helped in capturing the effect of these less frequent tasks on me. After weekly reflections, I did a final one, reflecting on the weekly reflections. The activities that consistently resulted in high engagement and energy levels emerged as solid indicators of the kind of work I would like to pursue, revealing what truly works for me in a job.

After I finished the Good Time Journal in March 2017, a few things stood out as sources of high engagement and energy for me:

Firstly, acquiring knowledge in a subject of interest that can influence, surprise, and deeply provoke my thoughts puts me in a flow state.
Secondly, sharing knowledge about a subject I am well-versed in also propels me into a flow state.
Establishing an emotional bond with individuals, knowing them personally, and experiencing a sense of closeness are profoundly gratifying for me.
Finally, satisfaction from successfully performing a job gives me great contentment. While I appreciate the praise of others, my satisfaction with the quality of my work is paramount.

Conversely, I identified certain aspects that drain my energy and disengage me.

Firstly, meetings, especially those with more than three people, are draining.
I also found that operational tasks like organizing meetings or crafting presentations are not something I enjoy
Also, activities done under time constraints or the pressure of others create a sense of disengagement.
Finally, tasks I find insignificant or pointless, yet I end up performing, also diminish my energy.

Upon revisiting my Good Time Journal insights, it's clear how they have consistently explained my career trajectory, why I found little satisfaction in specific roles, and why I felt happier in the ones that followed.

Now, with this deeper self-awareness and understanding of my preferences, the next task was to ideate alternative careers, essentially hypothesizing about roles that could lead to my happiness.

Odyssey Plans

I then proceeded to the next phase of outlining three distinct "Odyssey Plans," each depicting a different 5-year course. This step was by far the most imaginative and entertaining one 🙂 . Within each plan, I laid out the activities I would undertake year by year. I took several important factors into account while crafting these plans.

Firstly, developing three diverse plans rather than one prevents early commitment to a single path. It allows for a better end design by offering a multitude of options. When you begin with multiple ideas, your mind doesn't get prematurely attached to one path, enabling openness to innovative ideas.

Secondly, refrain from dismissing an idea immediately, thinking it won't be successful. It's essential to delay judgment and allow every idea to enter the discussion, regardless of how slim its chances of success may seem. Doing so shows that some ideas have potential after further consideration. As a result, you finish with a more diverse and superior set of feasible choices.

Moreover, it becomes clear that multiple routes to happiness and success exist by pushing oneself to identify alternatives. This prevents a scarcity mindset, reassuring you are not entrapped. However, believing that only a singular path is available usually fosters intense pressure and indecision.

Lastly, selecting some aspects from one Odyssey Plan and incorporating them into another is possible. Ultimately, this process will result in an optimized version that represents the best of all your plans.

My Odyssey Plans

Following these principles, I framed three alternative Odyssey plans. My first plan was to be a digital marketing consultant, working a three-day week focusing solely on digital marketing strategy and optimization. This path appealed to me due to its potential for work-life balance and the opportunity to deliver value-added work for clients I truly enjoyed partnering with.

For my second Odyssey plan, I envisioned myself as a software engineer, eventually specializing in artificial intelligence projects and securing a position at a world-leading company. This plan fulfilled my desire for mastery and intellectual challenges, catered to my ability to work independently if required, and satisfied my ambition to be surrounded by intelligent individuals.

My final Odyssey plan revolved around becoming a coach, utilizing the principles of positive psychology. This role would involve training individuals to lead happier lives and sharing my knowledge via written content. As a lover of positive psychology and deriving immense satisfaction from aiding others, this career path drew me in, and my command over the subject amplified my sense of mastery.

All three Odyssey plans inspired considerable excitement in me, yet there was uncertainty about their attainability and the joy they would bring. Guided by the book's suggestion, the next step was to "prototype" these plans, allowing me to test their potential before wholly committing.

Prototyping

I was very excited about all my plans, but this was a movie I had seen before. I would get excited initially, but after a year, my excitement waned, and I was looking for something new. I still had doubts about pulling this off. Was I going to succeed this time? I wasn't sure. But how could I be sure? The answer lay in "prototyping."

Prototypes are small experiments showing whether your assumptions about the job you want to do will fulfill your needs. We all have hidden beliefs and preferences about the work we want to do.

Prototypes help you answer two questions: “Will I like what I imagine doing?” and “How will I cope when things to do and problems come up unexpectedly?” If the answers you get don’t agree with your initial guesses, that’s alright; you can change direction and save a lot of time and energy. If your prototype confirms your guesses, that’s great; you will be more assured about the job satisfying you, and there will be fewer surprises.

The first thing I did was have conversations with people in the field I wanted to join, which was the easiest and most efficient prototype. Talking for just an hour gave me a snapshot of what the job is actually like. I came prepared with specific questions to test my beliefs about the work.

Prototype 1 - Freelance Marketing Consultant

I talked with two friends to gauge life as a freelance marketing consultant. I would like to know if I can pick my clients and the projects I take on. They told me that while picking who you work with is easy, it's tough to only work on projects you like. Clients usually want help with a wide range of marketing tasks and can be demanding when they want your help, even on weekends.

For me, this was a deal-breaker. Not being able to choose the specific projects I work on was a big no-no. I also wanted to have control over my work hours. As a result, I abandoned the idea of becoming a freelance marketing consultant.

Prototype 2 - Coach

I spoke to nearly ten people to learn about the coaching profession. They told me it's a rewarding job where you can make a real difference in people's lives, helping them find happiness at work. To excel, you need to be a lifelong learner. The downside is that living solely from coaching is challenging financially; many also have to work as trainers.

What drew me to coaching was the constant learning and the chance to impact others significantly. But juggling another job to make ends meet wasn't appealing. Since it's hard to earn a good income through coaching alone, I've put that career path on hold, with plans to revisit it later.

I was so thrilled at the thought of coaching, but when I had to put it on hold, I felt unhappy. Luckily, I regained my excitement with the last option.

Prototype 3 - Software Engineer

My third prototype focused on being a software engineer. Talking with more than ten software engineers from diverse companies, I learned that their work primarily involved problem-solving and developing intelligent systems, demanding high analytical thinking. These engineers relished their job's autonomy, appreciating the ability to work alone and reduce dependence on colleagues. Above all, they found joy in creating tangible solutions and witnessing the direct impact of their efforts. These appealed to me greatly; they aligned with what I deem ideal work.

On the challenges side, they said, initially, many face the frustration of dealing with non-functional code without knowing its reason. Furthermore, software engineers often work alone, which can lead to a sense of isolation and a desire for more social interactions.

I thought these problems were not critical for me, so in the end, I decided to progress on my prototyping of software engineering.

Choosing to Become a Software Engineer

Prototypes With Increasing Complexity

After consulting with engineers, I was convinced that software engineering is a reasonable career path. I decided to design new prototypes to test my hypothesis further. My prototyping strategy was gradually increasing the prototypes' complexity to mirror the work environment eventually. I aimed to diminish uncertainty with minimal time and effort, so I started with basic conversations and moved toward more elaborate and representative prototypes.

I initiated my exploration of software engineering by learning Python. The process was enjoyable, especially when I completed tasks successfully, observed my program functioning correctly, and appreciated the immediate feedback. However, as experienced engineers had cautioned, there were moments of frustration when the code didn’t work, and understanding the issue took hours. Despite these challenges, solving the problems brought a sense of victory. This initial experience was crucial as it mirrored actual work in software engineering, boosting my confidence in the field that it would provide satisfaction.

Moving forward in my exploration, I took on a more complex prototype: creating a Goodreads scraper to compile the most-read books in a chosen category. This task required me to integrate external libraries, complicating the process significantly. I spent up to three hours troubleshooting errors and managed a more extensive codebase. Despite these challenges, the joy and satisfaction I felt when the code finally worked and solved a personal problem was immense. In the face of more significant challenges, this success validated my enjoyment of the profession and further solidified my confidence in pursuing this career.

Saving the Game: Plan Z

After three months of working on progressively complicated prototypes, I felt a 70% certainty (not a scientific calculation 😊) in my compatibility with a career in software engineering. Despite the high confidence, I was conscious of the inherent risks and sought ways to minimize potential downsides. I couldn't shake the worry that I might end up unhappy again this time. So, I sought a fallback plan to mitigate these risks, drawing inspiration from the "Plan Z" concept in Reid Hoffman's book, "The Startup of You." This plan, which I called "Saving the Game," required a safe, not necessarily ideal, but acceptable alternative.

In discussing my plans with my supportive manager at Meta, I found my Plan Z. Despite her initial attempts to convince me to stay, she ultimately respected my decision. She and her manager assured me I would always have a place at Meta should I return. This gesture of goodwill and assurance provided the safety net I needed to fully commit to transitioning into software engineering.

With this safety net in place, I was prepared to risk a year or two in pursuit of a more fulfilling career in software engineering. The potential rewards justified the risks, prompting me to initiate my job search in Istanbul, where I wanted to live.

Software Engineer Years

Company Search

When I decided to change my career, I knew it might be challenging, so I kept my must-haves for my new job at a minimum. I only wanted a place with a good engineering culture and the chance to work with talented people. Starting in a lower position with a small salary was okay with me. But I had a critical assumption to help me have these compromises. If I enjoyed the work, I'd grow into a great engineer and, eventually, have the chance to earn more, work with even more competent people, and pick projects that interest me so that these compromises would be for a limited time.

I started my career transition by shortlisting companies through discussions with friends and their engineering contacts. During meetings with potential employers, they questioned my seriousness and challenged me with complex tasks to test my resolve and learning ability. Despite the time it took, I completed these challenges with hard work and help from knowledgeable friends. One company turned me down, but Iyzico's technical leadership noticed my effort and took a chance on me, and that's how my engineering career began.

Software Engineering Years: Expectations Meet the Real-World Test

Transitioning to engineering, I was happy to see that I liked much more about my job than not, a first in my working life. Initially, even basic tasks were daunting, but thanks to my helpful and knowledgeable teammates, I got through them, and the great feeling at the end made all the struggle worth it. I loved learning new problem-solving techniques from the excellent engineering books and advice from my colleagues, and seeing our users happy with our work was truly rewarding.

On the challenges side, I sometimes clashed with colleagues over problem-solving methods, which led to draining debates. On occasion, I felt a lot of pressure to complete tasks quickly, which was stressful due to my limited engineering experience. Fortunately, these moments were infrequent, and my experienced colleagues were always there to lend a hand when I struggled.

Ultimately, my initial beliefs about enjoying engineering were correct despite some unforeseen challenges. Thanks to my supportive colleagues, I navigated these issues successfully. These positive experiences led to Iyzico becoming the place I've worked at the longest—a new record for me. Even when I moved on to a new company, my fondness for engineering remained, marking another pleasant first in my career.

Final Pivot: Coaching

Unexpected Desire to Try Another Path

After leaving Iyzico, I joined a remote software company with an excellent salary and incredibly skilled teammates. I was initially thrilled. However, remote work brought unforeseen challenges. The company switched unexpectedly to Typescript, a language I wasn’t familiar with, leading to a difficult learning curve. Most tasks were too demanding for my experience level, leaving me under constant stress. Despite willing colleagues, the remote setup limited the help they could offer, which made me feel increasingly isolated and unsettled.

Despite these issues, my passion for coding remained, but the lure of coaching began to surface. Psychology and self-improvement reading engaged me more deeply than my technical work, feeling less like a duty and more like a natural interest. Also, I always found fulfillment in helping people with their problems, giving sincere advice, and making a positive difference in their lives. The persistent pull towards coaching became too strong to ignore, and I wanted to explore it without sidelining engineering. But as stress peaked and my remote job and I parted ways, I decided to try coaching without looking for a programming job. Given the anxiety I felt and the relative ease of returning to programming if needed, I began to shape my prototype for coaching to see if I would like it more than programming.

Coaching Prototype Design

To explore coaching, I sought advice from seasoned coaches about building a prototype. I aimed to test three assumptions: if I'd enjoy coaching, if I could successfully attract clients and generate income, and if I'd remain passionate despite potential challenges. The experienced coaches advised enrollment in a reputable coaching program, insisting that without it, my ability to truly assess my fit for coaching would be compromised. While the cost was significant, I decided it was a necessary step to understand my suitability for coaching.

Also, the program's requirements aligned with the official credentials needed for coaching: professional training, 100 hours of actual coaching with the majority being paid, and working with at least eight paying clients. I felt assured that this process would confirm if coaching was the right fit for me. I set six months to give it my all before deciding whether to continue or to return to engineering.

My Actual Experience

I quickly started my coaching prototype by signing up for a training program and seeking out clients immediately.

The test to see if I'd like coaching was a success. Even though I was nervous at first, I enjoyed helping people. Seeing them benefit from our sessions immediately gave me a great sense of purpose.

Finding clients and making money from coaching started tough, but I figured out a way. I focused on showing potential clients how coaching could help them rather than whether they'd hire me. Regarding fees, I asked for donations to my university's scholarship fund so clients felt they were giving back while getting help.

The switch to coaching came with other pleasant surprises: I decided to work just four days a week and had time for regular morning exercise. Also, I enjoyed improving my coaching skills. As a result, I completed my coaching and client goals in just two months instead of six.

As my coaching progressed, the joy of the work was crystal clear, but attracting clients stayed a challenge. After a year, I've learned that clients come to me if only I spend active effort. Yet, I decided this challenge was a minor trade-off compared to the immense satisfaction and freedom I had. So, the whole prototype affirmed my decision to be a leadership and career coach.

My Advice for Finding Work You Love

As I shared my journey, finding a career you love can be a complex adventure with surprises, but it doesn't have to be a leap into the unknown. Despite the twists and turns, I had a systematic approach to uncovering your passions and minimizing the unknowns. Let me walk you through the six steps that led me to my ideal career, hoping they can illuminate yours, too.

1. Start with imagining your ideal life and ideal work life without any constraints

The initial step is to dream about your ideal life, linking your aspirations for your personal and work life, as they should enhance each other.

Two techniques for visualizing your ideal life are:

Lifeview and workview exercise
Magic Wand exercise - envisioning your ideal life in five years, if you had a magic wand and everything you wanted would be possible

The aim here is not a detailed plan but a guiding outline for where you want to head.

2. Capture what you like and what you don't like

The next step is to understand what parts of your work you enjoy in detail. Record your feelings right after each task; the "Good Time Journal" is a valuable tool for this. Also, remember the times you've felt at your best at work using the "Peak Experiences" exercise to help understand what truly satisfies you.

3. Create three 5-year alternative life and work plans

Formulate three different five-year roadmaps, articulating your goals for each year. Crafting at least three plans is vital to avoid choosing between only two possibilities. The presence of three alternatives helps you to extract the strong points of each, giving you the freedom to craft a superior, customized plan.

Then, take note of your excitement level for each plan; the greater your enthusiasm, the more likely it is that the plan aligns with your interests, and you should prioritize exploration. Optionally, share your plans with friends or mentors who understand you well and ask for their insights on how each plan aligns with your passions rather than its feasibility.

4. Start with simple tests and gradually increase the complexity

Try out little experiments to test the true potential of your plans to bring happiness. Since plans often involve untested assumptions, it’s crucial to check them in the real world. A well-designed test should minimize uncertainty using the least time and effort. Gradually, your tests should become more complex and mimic reality more closely. Note what each experiment teaches you and refine your plans as needed. Eventually, your confidence will grow so you can transition from testing to committing.

5. Design a Plan Z when you are ready to commit

As you venture into your chosen career, establish a Plan Z. Think of it as your safety net. Even with thorough testing, surprises can arise, and you may need to fall back on a secure option. This backup plan ensures you have a solid, if not perfect, alternative.

6. Commit and enjoy your decision

You're set for your career quest—congratulations! You may still have doubts, but their usefulness is now past. Now solidify your commitment by noting your rationale, which should have:

Why this path resonates with you
The positive experiences that have confirmed your direction
The obstacles you might meet
Any other reflections you find important

You've worked hard to reach this point—savor the experience ahead!

Where I Am Now

For the last three years, I've been a leadership and career coach, guiding entrepreneurs, leaders, and tech professionals in Turkey, the US, Europe, and the Middle East. In addition, I coach skilled individuals dissatisfied with their careers to create happier, more satisfying career paths.

Recently, I've expanded to coaching teams on teamwork and communication. I'm also pursuing a psychology degree at Bilgi University to enhance my coaching skills further.

Thanks for checking out my first Substack article! Subscribe to read my future posts on finding happiness and success at work and personal life.

Check my website or message me on LinkedIn to learn about my coaching services.

Serhat’s Substack

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