Changing your mind

So I had a long talk with Bogha Frois tonight about her job. What she indicated to me, in the course of our conversation, is that she is having second thoughts about the career field she has chosen. Essentially, the work environment is not what she had additionally pictured, and although she believed she was up to the stress of the job, she has found that it is more consuming than she had intended.

She's having thoughts: should she pursue her education further? Should she return to the industry she was in? Should she stay where she is and seek a transfer to a location that is more desirable for her family?

But fundamentally, her question comes down to two things: 1) What do I really want to do; and 2) If I decide my current position is not what I want to do, will I look like I'm failing in my ability to persist or make up my mind?

To the first question, my advice was simply think and write it out. It is very hard to be enthusiastic for something when it has nothing to do with nor can lead you to do something with what you love.

To the second question, my comment was "Of course you can change your mind!" We make decisions based on the information we have available at the time. If different circumstances arise, we have the ability - nay, the right - to say "You know, I think this really isn't what I thought it was. I don't enjoy it, I don't like it, and it is not going to lead me anywhere close to what I really like." I've done it - real estate back to my current industry, which was my old industry. I tried it, and then I got more information. In my case, I found that I am simply more security than risk driven.

We should never feel bad about examining career, hobby, or even some relational decisions (keeping in mind Scripture, of course) and, based on the new information we have, make a different - and hopefully better - decision.