In my last article called “Mental Health in Law Firms”, I wrote about many aspects of mental health and specifically mental health in the workplace.
In this article, I will be zoning in one of the coping strategies I suggested for mental wellness: “be true to yourself in knowing your capabilities”. Although it was presented as a general mental health tip in the workplace, I believe it’s deeper than that. It’s more of a topic for everyone to contemplate when choosing or changing a career, accepting a new job opportunity or simply deciding whether to take on a challenging legal matter.
All too often, we fall into the trap of what society or others perceive to be a successful career path and not what we individually feel is the right path, based on our own circumstances and capabilities. Sometimes it’s the idea of a prestigious job with sizable earnings that entice us to choose a certain career path or choose a job within our career path when in actuality you are not geared for that job.
Take for example the career path of a lawyer or any professional in private practice. Not everyone is geared to go into private practice and earn a lot of money. Most will start there but, ultimately, it may not be for you. Private practice requires a lot of hard work whether you’re in the initial stages of your career or have been practicing for more than 5 years. It requires continuous long hours and most weekends to initially learn the ropes and prove yourself as an associate and then later on to make partner or open your own practice, acquire and foster clients, and run your practice.
Not everyone has the energy, social skills, and good business sense to succeed and even if you do, it will come at a cost. For example, you may not be able to take an active role in the upbringing of your children as your own parents may have done or take an active role in the care of your elderly parents. You may have to delegate that to someone else such as your spouse or a caregiver. For some people, this is not an easy feat.
It all comes down to more money for a job equals more responsibility and more responsibility means surrendering some things in your life. Before you go down that road or take that big title job, be honest with yourself to determine whether you’re firstly physically and mentally capable of taking on that job and if you are, whether you’re okay with the consequences.
If you’re not okay with the consequences or if you’re not physically or mentally capable, then perhaps taking a job with less responsibility is a better option for you. Chasing money does not always equal success especially if you are not being true to yourself.
This concept is not merely a mental health quick fix or small tip, this is a big-ticket item in mental health wellness. It’s a wholistic approach to your mental and physical health. It delves deep into the core of who you are and not what your parents or society expects you to be. It’s what you want out of life to be your authentic self.
When you’re in a role where you can be your authentic self, you will thrive in that role and achieve much success – success that’s right for you. Success that’s not only embedded in how much money you earn but in doing something you value, leading you to much mental health wellness and positive overall health.