This is Me...

[OperationMyWay]

Hello World,

This post is long overdue and now that it has begun I have come to the realization that it is going to be long. So those in a time crunch feel free to skip to the bottom for a summary. I need to put it all out there for this to serve its purpose. First off my name is Kyle, I’m in my mid to late 20’s, and I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. This is obviously a problem, but I’m here to work on that. What I do know is that I don’t want to be an accountant. I know this because that is my current profession and has been for the last 3+ years. It’s nothing personal against accounting, but it just isn’t the path that leads to the life I want. Here I am though, writing this, as an employee at a business helping build someone else’s dream.

This isn’t meant to come off as whiny or non appreciative. I’m much more fortunate than most and I realize that having a paycheck is a luxury not all have. I’ve made tons of mistakes in my life, career, and relationships, but they are my mistakes and mine alone.

I want to discuss the word choice and how I have avoided making many important ones because it was either easy, safe, or in my case, usually both. Growing up in middle class America going to school isn’t a choice, not until certain ages at least, so I lucked out and didn’t really have to consider what I needed to be doing from ages 6-18. Amongst my group of friends going to college was also in the same realm of certainty that going to high school was. Again, I lucked out as that was at least 4 more years of not having to make a difficult choice. Picking a school was easy. I had been a loyal sports fan all my life and this particular school had good academics so it was a no brainer. Another important choice already made for me. Yay!

You have to pick a major or at least thats what my freshman academic counselor was saying. It was recommended you choose before spring semester so you could start laying out a map of your future coursework. I was thinking to myself about what direction to go and naturally (like an idiot) I settled on the first thought that came into my head. Numbers. I’m good with numbers, therefore I have to go to business school and while I’m at it I should be an accounting major as all they do is numbers (obviously a lie). It took me less than 5 minutes and again I had avoided making any kind of real choice because that would have involved some critical thinking. I wanted no part of that. Now that my major is sorted out I look at the accounting major roadmap. Four years of undergrad, one masters year to meet total hour requirements to sit for the CPA exam, and then a CPA review class. The next 5 years were laid out for me all the way down to what classes I had to take and what buildings I would spend those years in.

Those next 5 years I coasted. Not to say there weren’t tough exams, papers, etc, but in reality I didn’t have to go crazy applying myself to make decent grades. On this 5 year ride I encountered several teachers, recruiters, and former students harping on how public accounting needed to be in my future. It was THE way to go. Awesome, career choice after the magical college ride had been made and I didn’t even break a sweat about it. So while fumbling along the road to learning debits and credits it was pointed out I needed an internship as it was a sure fire way to get hired after college. I secured one with a large public accounting firm after spending my interviews discussing sports and the local social scene with former alums. Not once at this point in my junior year had I stepped back and thought to myself if I was making the right choices, that would have put me out of my comfort zone for sure.

The internship was the last semester of undergrad as I was cruising towards that bachelors degree. Liked a few things about the job, hated a lot, but learned a ton during my time there. After it was over you were encouraged (wisely) to reflect on your experience working in public and if you personally wanted it in your future. So (not wisely) I totally ignored all the red flags and convinced myself it was definitely what my career should be. The offer to work there full time after my masters year came a month later and BOOM another choice had been avoided as I would have been viewed as a crazy person not to accept such a thing. My masters year flew by as did the following summer prepping for the dreaded CPA exam before working full time in public accounting in the fall.

There I was doing all the things I was supposed to do without really having to make any kind of choice. Passed the CPA exam, started working for the man, and became a worker drone just like everybody else. In public accounting, hours are often long, staff under appreciated, and often underpaid. It is the same mostly everywhere in that industry so I hold little personal feelings against my old firm for that behaviour. They were operating business as usual and as expected. In my 1+ year there I was constantly reminded about how the things I hadn’t liked from my internship hadn’t magically changed. It was painfully obvious after month 6 that this path wasn’t for me, but I had my escape plan. Most people stay in public for 3-5 years and then bail for the corporate side. I had my pre-determined escape route, mine was just going to happen sooner.

Once I started actively looking I was able to find a corporate job fairly quick. Didn’t do much as far as choice goes though. Took basically the first job I was offered. There were aspects of the job I didn’t like that should have kept me on the sidelines, but with better pay, better hours, and a new title I thought what the hell. In the beginning it was fun as I was learning new things, around new people everyday (I love social interaction), and had a path laid out for me on how my career would evolve. Slowly things started to bother me though. I get bored now that the work isn’t new to me. Communication throughout the company is poor. I’m tired of seeing the same mistakes over and over again due to stubbornness as well as other things. I have now been here around 2 years. During that time I been promoted to the head of the small accounting department and only answer to two individuals throughout the company and no one else. I tell you this because on the outside it appears I have everything together, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m where I’m at because it’s safe. I’m here because the odds of failure are miniscule. I’m here because I don’t want to make the tough choice. It’s an excuse. I am living the nightmare of the slowlane and it’s time I change that.

Like I said this is only the beginning. I have slowly been working up to this by reading whatever I can find that will put me over the hump to make a change. I think MJ’s book might have finally done that. It’s time I start making steps (choices) that will move me closer to a life/business that is in my control instead of sitting on the sidelines. I will make mistakes, but its time to take a chance. I’ve taken the safe play all my life and let the world dictate my choices. That ends today.

Thanks for letting me get this out there as it is the first meaningful step towards a career & lifestyle that for once wasn’t the easy way out.

Regards,

Kyle

tl;dr

I have allowed my life/career to follow the path everyone else chooses because it is easier. On the outside I am what you would call a career success, but that is not the case. Tired of living by others career rules and this is the first step to live by my own.

 

Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member: Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)