Dear Witch,
I used to love being a witch. There was nothing more exciting for me than turning boys into cats and transforming newts into potions. But recently, I’ve been struggling to get inspired. Instead of shopping for a new black hat last week (which I desperately need to do before the Sanderson Sisters Convention), I found myself reading article after article about SEO strategy—for fun!
Do you ever question your career path? Do you ever wish you could use a tornado to fake your death-by-house-crushing and go into another field altogether, like, let’s say, digital marketing?
Put a spell on me and tell me what to do,
No-Longer-Sure-the-Broom-Life’s-for-Me
Dear No-Longer-Sure-the-Broom-Life’s-for-Me,
Well, double, bubble, toil, and career path trouble!
I’d be lying if I didn’t sometimes stop mid-brewing and question if I’d made the right choices. Would I be happier if I’d just followed in my mother’s footsteps and become a lawyer? Would I be content just getting Botox and not spending so much of my time trying to secure a child’s soul so that I can remain young?
Of course!
But, then there are other times, when my husband’s texting me about being stuck in rush hour, when I look down at the traffic from my broom and remember why I got into this industry. While the day-to-day can certainly be draining—and yes, I do mean that literally, because last week my co-witcher knocked over my cauldron and the potion I’d been working on literally drained out in front of my very eyes—I’m still excited enough by my recent accomplishments to keep going.
So, what I want you to do today is to ask yourself when was the last time you were excited? If your first answer is something like “the time I brought Jon Snow back to life,” then I’d say stick it out for at least another year.
But if the first thing that pops into your head is learning about Google’s new algorithm, then perhaps digital marketing is a field you want to explore. And by explore, I mean set up informational interviews (BTW: Humans are obsessed with email, so here’s a template to use), start thinking about your transferable skills, and build up the courage to make the move.
Here’s the good news: Every single new experience forces you to grow and learn—and as far as I know, there’s no industry that looks down upon those two things. So, no matter what direction you take your career in today, you can go in another direction tomorrow. There’s no path you can’t turn around on.
And no, that’s not because you know spells that can alter the fabric of time, but rather because that’s how careers works—whether you’re a supernatural being capable of putting a sleeping curse on a baby princess, or you’re a mere mortal who’s trying to find their purpose.
So, make the choice that gets you excited right now. You deserve that. Especially if you are going to live for a couple hundred years longer than most.
Yours ’til the warts fall off,
Witch
