First of all, let go of all the stereotypes about the “perfect” career. Let go of other people’s opinions, ideas, advice, all the should-dos, must-dos, and cannot-dos.

People give career advice all the time, even if you don’t ask for it. And their tips are often based on one socially accepted scenario. You would hear things like: “you can afford risky career moves only when you’re young,” “you should change jobs every 3 years”, “you should have a gap year before 30”, “remote work is less productive than working from the office,” etc.

As life showed us—especially this year—everything is possible. The world is changing fast, there aren’t stable jobs anymore, and you can work from anywhere in the world if you have enough motivation to pursue your dream.

So, ask yourself: if it weren’t for other people and their experiences, advice and opinions, what would your perfect job be?

My blog is about combining career and traveling, so I’m sure that many of you want to find a job that enables you to travel often. But there are many ways to do that! I described some of the possibilities in this article about combining a fulfilling career with frequent traveling.

Stay true to your values and needs, even if you don’t feel fully understood by others. This way, you’ll gain not only happiness but also respect.

Yes, reviewing your career can be pleasant!

Talking to your family and friends may be one of the best ways to find a new career path or improve your current job/business. People who are close to you are often great at assessing your strengths and weaknesses.

Why is that? Because we tend to have skewed perceptions about ourselves. Sometimes we’re overly confident or reckless in our decision-making. Sometimes we have self-limiting beliefs that hold us back.

Our family and friends are free from our beliefs about ourselves; they see us from an ousider’s perspective. They also care about us, so they will probably be happy to help this way.

Ask them about your strengths and weaknesses. Or even ask them to name a job they think you would be perfect at. Don’t suggest anything; just let them speak. Stay open to outside-the-box ideas.

Of course, you don’t need to take their advice literally and do precisely what they suggest. But the answers can give you some ideas about what you’re good at.

If your friends tell you that you often motivate them and give them a confidence boost every time you meet, then maybe try your luck as a coach. When they tell you they admire your organizing skills, then consider a career as a VA, wedding planner, or whatever job that will make you shine at organizing.

When your job is in line with your skills, you get a chance to work not harder but smarter.

And this brings us to the next thing—the necessity to focus.

It’s common knowledge that multitasking doesn’t work, and the same goes for goal setting. Too many priorities mean no priorities.

It’s understandable that you can have many career goals—but if you work on them simultaneously, you may get overwhelmed by the organizational chaos and the amount of work. As a result, you may get discouraged and stop trying altogether. Then, much time will probably have to pass before you make an effort to try again.

If you make this mistake once or twice, there won’t be much harm. But if you continue to make it again and again, your career may become a constant struggle.

Think about it: if you prioritize one specific goal, you’ll be more likely to stay on the right track. You’ll create a precise list of tasks to do, you’ll reach the destination faster than you thought, you’ll see the results, and you’ll be ready to take the next step.

If you focus, you actually do more by doing … less.

For multi-passionate people (like me), this is a hard pill to swallow. Lack of focus has been my nemesis for a long time, and I admit: the battle isn’t won yet 😉

So, remember: you can do anything, but not everything.

What’s the next thing you’d like to focus on?

If you don’t know it yet, the process described in this article will surely help!