Can You “Make it” In Your Professional Life?

This is a question I ask myself frequently. I hear it in conversations with friends, on social media, videos, etc. It’s something that I think everyone has to grapple with at some point or another in life.

It’s interesting though…what is making it? Is that a goal? An achievement? A mentality? Items? What is it?

The main thing to realize is that “making it” is subjective. There is no objectivity to it.

Making it is what you want it to be. If that is being successful in your career of choice, or starting a business, it’s up to you. If you reach a certain salary and you are perfectly happy with it then you’ve made it. If you are doing the things at a job that you love and maybe you make more or less, you have made it.

The main thing that I’ve learned over the years is that what’s most important in making it as a professional, is for me to determine when I have or not. Don’t let anyone else tell you when you have become successful, don’t use external indications of success, or change your ideals to what others have deemed “making it.”

You have to put your goals in order and determine what you want to do in your career.

If you want to work for someone or run your own business. You have to put the work in and organize yourself. If you aren’t feeling motivated, change it up, try something new. Maybe dabble in something completely different than your current job, projects, assignments, etc.

The point is never to let arbitrary achievements like “making it” impact who you are as a person and how you channel your innate individuality into your profession. Try to be the best you can be. Try to work step by step on your portfolio, tasks, trainings, whatever you may be working on. The point is to always keep moving, step by step.

If you want to start a YouTube channel, go ahead. Want to open a dog bar? Please do, dogs are awesome. You won’t know where you want to be if you don’t try to start moving in a general direction.

There are many things that can make you feel like you haven’t made it but you are the only one who can determine where you are.

Don’t focus on things that don’t move you in the direction you want to go.

Where you want to go is what you want to do, and you will feel as though you have made it along the journey if you stay true to what it is you want…whatever that may be.

-Brian.