Remember Gavin de Becker’s 1997 book, “The Gift of Fear?” A potential employer gave it to me during one of their intensive interviews. Strange gift for most jobs, but this one fit the bill. I was interviewing for work as a private investigator.
Surprisingly, I got the job.
My one year stint as a PI was more than I bargained for. But one thing I learned from the book and the job was to follow my instincts.
Or so I thought.
Like Jesaka I’ve had to relearn the lesson time and time again.
As a P.I., not trusting my inner teacher (as I like to call it) was dangerous. And as a writer, it was bad business.
Here’s what I lost in the process:
- Precious time. I’ve gotten countless job offers and phone calls for potential opportunities (in fact I just received one yesterday) that made my stomach tie up in knots. Instead of turning down offers right away, I spent time returning calls and meeting with potential clients in person. In the end, I would regret all that time wasted on a job I knew wasn’t right for me from the beginning.
- Money. This is a big one! Not listening to my initial instinct that something just didn’t feel right about a new job ended up costing me not only time, but money. I’ve had a handful of clients who were wishy-washy from the start (e.g. not directly answering questions, unclear about what they wanted).Those were the ones who stiffed me in the end.
- Better opportunities. The time I wasted with jobs that weren’t right for me ended up costing me better opportunities. When I think of all the time I spent working for jobs that didn’t fit me, I mourn the missed opportunities. I think about the better jobs that could have passed my way, if I hadn’t been occupied with the wrong one.
What have I gained in the process?
Hopefully, the courage to listen the next time a wrong job disguised as the right one makes my stomach turn.
The next time a high paying job comes your way that just doesn’t feel right, remember my story. No matter how much you think you need the job and how desperate you think you are, remember that taking it is the difference between finding “the right one” and the one for right now.
