Why Doing What You’re Good At Isn’t Necessarily The Best Career Choice by @kathryneggins

by Kathryn Eggins | Featured Contributor 

‘You should pursue art as a career!’ was a comment I heard many times throughout my teenage years…

Ok, let me toot my own horn for a moment…I’m good at drawing and painting portraits and have been since I taught myself how to draw them at age 15…

But that doesn’t mean I should pursue art as a career.

I was given the opportunity to work behind the scenes of a telemovie and work on the set design…

It was fun. I learned how to paint a wood grain effect on a boat that was later sunk.

We stood and watched as our artwork disappeared to the bottom of the sound stage pool…

But while I enjoyed it and I was good at it, it still didn’t ring the bells of my heart as a career choice…

Why? Because it was in my Zone of Excellence.

What is your Zone of Excellence?

In his book, ‘The Big Leap’, Gay Hendricks refers to the Zone of Excellence – the place where most people pursue a career because they’re great at what they do…

They could do their work with their eyes closed…

But it doesn’t make their heart sing…

They choose to stay safe in their Zone of Excellence instead of creating a life in their Zone of Genius.

When you work in your Zone of Excellence, there’ll be times when you do enjoy what you do…

But deep down inside, your Zone of Genius will be tugging at your heart strings, calling out and making you wish you were there instead of being tied down to your Zone of Excellence…

How can you tell the difference between your Zone of Excellence and your Zone of Genius?

When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you think of that you would love to be doing all day, every day?

Is it the life you’re currently living every day?

Or is it a dream in your heart?

Would you love to be working with animals or travelling the world?

What’s the passion that tugs at your heart strings?

That’s your Zone of Genius – colourful and bright.

If you’re simply pursuing a career because you’re good at what you do…

That’s your Zone of Excellence – enjoyable but compared to your Zone of Genius, it’s black and white.

Why is living in your Zone of Genius important?

Happiness…

When you love what you do, it never feels like work…

You get up every day and you live your life on your terms…

You get to do what excites you every day instead of just doing what you’re good at…

Why do we pursue careers in our Zone of Excellence instead of in our Zone of Genius?

We’re taught to believe it’s ok to dream as children but as we get older, we’re told to face reality…

We start to focus on this reality which only serves to create more of the same…

Soon, the self-limiting belief that it’s not possible to follow your dreams sets in for most people and they stick to the safety net of their Zone of Excellence.

Living in your Zone of Genius requires you to push your comfort zone boundaries which brings about the upper limit problem that keeps most people playing it safe…

But for the heart driven soul who chooses to work through and smash their upper limit problem, the sky’s the limit!

How can you find your Zone of Genius?

Take a moment and tune in to the desire in your heart…

Don’t consider anyone else…

Only think about yourself for a moment…

What would you love to be doing?

What makes your heart sing?

What excites you?

Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself about what you’d love to be doing…

Your Zone of Genius can change throughout your life as you grow

When I was in high school, all I wanted to do was work in radio. I wanted to be a radio announcer but I had this small problem that I was too scared to speak into a microphone…

I figured I’d sort that out later and within three months of leaving school, I was working for a radio station, putting the midnight to dawn program to air with the announcer’s voice on reel to reel (hey, it was the 80s!)

Problem solved!

I was also the first female they’d employed for the job and at 17 years of age, I outshone all of the boys…

But I soon discovered I wanted to be singing the songs instead of playing them…

I was still too scared to speak into a microphone but twelve years later I was singing and performing on stage at the World Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany.

Now, I’m inspiring people across the world tune in and find alignment with their soul-purpose and become conscious creators of their life…

You have choices

Think about what you would love to be doing…

What’s the first step you could take to move your life in the direction of living in your Zone of Genius?

Make a phone call?

Start a blog?

Change the direction of your blog to talk about what’s in your heart instead of what you’re good at?

Book a trip?

If the idea of taking this step scares you, congratulations, you’re on the right track!

The choices are endless and only you’ll know what that first step will be…

You will find the answer in your heart…

The important part is to take that leap and simply do it…

Don’t let the upper limit problem get the better of you!

If a plane is just one degree off course it will land somewhere completely different to its original destination…

And the same applies to moving from your Zone of Excellence into your Zone of Genius.

You can create a life that makes your heart sing…

You just need to get out of your own way and take that first step today.

Kathryn Eggins

Kathryn Eggins in an International Speaker, Writer, Entertainer AND Artist for kathryneggins.com

A self proclaimed BADASS Creator of Life, Kathryn’s soul purpose is to inspire and support others to tune in, connect with their soul and have fun designing a life based upon what their heart truly desires.

When she’s not travelling the world speaking, writing, creating her online TV show and sharing her message with the world, Kathryn can be found in her art studio painting and drawing portraits, at a venue singing for the masses or flying high at her local indoor skydiving center.