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What's Next?

There have been times when I was actively looking for a new job, and there have been times when a new job found me when I wasn't looking at all. I can't tell you which employers I was ready to leave and which ones I wrestled with walking away from, but I can honestly say this: not all the jobs I've jumped to have been what I thought they would be. Some fell short of expectations, while others were so much more than I could have imagined.

I'm not perfect, but I do think I'm more than just a financial historian reporting numbers and closing accounting books. I enjoy the challenge behind most of it. I like being part of building a business and helping companies improve and grow.

Recently, I read one of the most interesting job postings. It asked:

"Do you challenge the numbers instead of simply reporting them? Do you make the call and own the outcome? Do you want a target, the authority to pursue it, and the freedom to determine how you get there?"

I thought, Dang... yes, please.

But then reality crept in.

I don't really want to start over again. I feel like I've bounced around too much over the past eight years, and what I really want is a job that appreciates me and values my talents. Besides, do I really want the added stress that comes with climbing higher up the ladder than I already am?

It's strange, though. I recently mentioned to someone that I feel so underutilized in my current role. That got me wondering: Is this just a season of rest? Or is this what the top of the mountain looks like, and it's all downhill from here?

I'm far too young to retire, and my 401(k) kindly reminds me every month that I still have many years to go. Ha!

So I started asking myself some hard questions:

Where am I now?

Where do I need to be?

Where does God really want me to be?

The truth is, I haven't done a great job of listening to Him or seeking His plan for my life over the past year or so. More often than not, I feel like I'm just drifting. I'm tired, but is that because life has been demanding? Or have I become lazy, unmotivated, and too comfortable?

Someone recently told me, "Enjoy life a little more right now. Don't worry so much that work isn't as fulfilling as it used to be."

Maybe that's good advice.

Maybe it's not.

I've spent a lot of my career asking, "What's next?"

Maybe the better question right now is, "What's enough?"

Enough challenge. Enough purpose. Enough ambition. Enough rest.

For most of my life, I've been focused on the next opportunity, the next goal, the next mountain to climb. Maybe this season isn't about reaching higher. Maybe it's about learning to appreciate where I am while remaining open to where God may lead me next.

I'm still working on the answer, but for the first time in a long time, I think I'm asking the right questions

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