Getting Back On Track
We have all been there at some time in our lives. We reach a point when we wake up one morning and realize that somewhere along the line we got off track.
Boyd resolves to get back on career track this year.
Have you been there? Have you ever stood in front of the mirror and no longer recognized the person staring back at you? I am sorry to say, but that happened to me recently.
I should probably be more specific. I am not going through a mid-life crisis, my family relationships are all strong and intact, but sometime in the not-so-distant past I lost the passion and drive to excel in my career.
What is it that they always say? Hindsight is 20/20? I think I have to agree. I can pinpoint when I started to lose my passion for my career.
On more than one occasion, I have written about the local decline of the economy and how drastically it has affected the construction industry in Arizona. I am certain that if I asked many of my colleagues, they would also agree that was about the time when many landscape architects began to feel disenchanted with our profession.
I was fortunate that the firm I was working for at the time allowed me to transition to another department and keep my employment. Many of my friends and colleagues were not so lucky.
However, over the last four years, I have always missed working in the landscape architecture field and have longed for the day I could return. It was around this time last year that I had an opportunity to move to another firm, and I took it.
It was a great opportunity for more responsibility and, financially, it made sense. Although I looked for other landscape architecture positions at that time, there were not any and I looked forward to working with my new firm with much optimism.
The last year has seen many vicissitudes, and while I still enjoy my colleagues there and have fond memories of working with them, I find myself at another crossroads. The planning industry seems to be in a bit of a lull and I have once again found myself looking for new opportunities.
As I search for new opportunities in the marketplace, I am really taking the time to consider the things that are important to me in terms of my career. I think that introspection and self-evaluation are important in order to lead a well-balanced life.
Now that I find myself at this crossroads, I have decided it is time to get “back in the game” and find an opportunity in landscape architecture. Whether I find a position with another firm, or choose to start my own, I do not know yet.
However, the one thing I do know is that it is time for me to start living my passion. And I challenge you to look within and see if you are doing the same.
That is my resolution for this New Year. Have you made any resolutions this year? If so, I would love to hear them. Feel free to leave a comment below, send me a tweet, or even an email. I look forward to hearing from you.
Have a great weekend!
Boyd Coleman is a landscape architect in Phoenix, Arizona. He can be reached on twitter at @CDGLA or email: bcoleman001@gmail.com