I confess that I am addicted to supermodel reality TV. America's Next Top Model and Make Me A Supermodel are my guilty pleasures. I guess it's because I feel that I've missed my calling to be a supermodel (if you have seen me, you would know that I kid - I'm being funny, not delusional). But I often find myself yelling at the girls in these competitions, "You better work that runway, girlfriend!" "Remember to sell the garment you are modeling!" "That one has no idea how to pose for the camera."
Supermodel as a profession sounds great, doesn't it? I used to have lofty career aspirations, too (although never absurd ones such as supermodel or pop star, like most girls do today). But something weird happened after I had kids: I stopped caring about career climbing. It used to be that when my manager asked me what my goals are, I had ideas about the next promotion, getting on the right "track" (leadership track, management track, etc).
If you ask me now what my goal is, it's to be a good role model for my kids. That means being a kind person, being good for the planet, having integrity, demonstrating a positive outlook in life, and following through on the things that matter.
My career aspirations these days revolve around how I incorporate those role model qualities into my job. It can be especially hard to demonstrate a positive outlook when one is surrounded by office politics and climbers who are only working towards that next promotion. At the same time, there is something liberating about not caring about all of that stuff and just focusing on how to be the person I want my children to admire and emulate.
When I think about it, being a person that others look up to is a pretty worthwhile ambition, why hasn't it been my goal all along?
1 comment:
Thank you so much for this entry!! Although I didn't want to admit it (for fear of failure), I was on that career competitiveness bandwagon. In fact, even before I left for my mat leave, I was still trying to negotiate half a promotion! But now things have changed and I've been wondering, "What the heck is wrong with me?" You've hit the nail right on the head!
Post a Comment