Career choices - A Story about Alignment and Cohesion
Make better career decisions, and live an happier life. An essay discussing how to make more fulfilling career choices, and pitfalls to avoid when making those.
This article is part of the Knowledge Worker Kit, the definitive guide for Knowledge Workers.
Knowledge Worker Kit and community (BETA)
Who is this for? You are an entrepreneur, founder, executive or leader You are a Knowledge Worker or Lifelong Learner You feel lost and overwhelmed by the pace of innovation, disorganized, or unproductive You want to be a top performer and stay ahead of the curve You want to join a community of like-minded people you can exchange with, and learn from You want a solid system that scales You want to learn with the best What is this?TL;DR: This is a private community accompanied by a detailed guide exploring many topics (e.g., Knowledge Work, Personal Organization, Learning, Time Management, Project Management, etc), sharing proven and scalable systems/guidance. The content will keep expanding over time, with courses, workshops, and more!The Knowledge Worker Kit is an evergreen project. You buy access once, and you get lifetime access to all the past and future content, courses, and events, including all the bonuses: Private community Deep Dive Guide covering all the areas, as well as templates, references, and resources Free access to all future workshops, meetups, knowledge-sharing sessions, invited talks, AMAs, and to all the recorded sessions ... Included bonuses: Knowledge Management for Beginners Course ($69.99) Obsidian Starter Course ($69.99) Obsidian Starter Kit ($29.99) Personal Knowledge Management Library ($59.99) Beginner’s Guide to Obsidian Total value of the included bonuses: $229+.Evergreen ContentThe Knowledge Worker Kit is a living project, and a community of practice. It will continue expanding over time, and the value you will get out of it will keep growing. Day after day, week after week. Buy it once, and you will have access to all future content, courses, and events.Who is behind this?Hi, I’m Sébastien DuboisI’ve been passionate about Knowledge Management, Learning, Knowledge Work, Personal Organization, and Productivity for more than 20 years. As an author, entrepreneur, coach, and father of 3, I needed efficient and effective solutions to stay organized, focused, and productive. The Knowledge Worker Kit includes everything I know about these topics, and more!I have a proven track record of delivering at work, and with my side projects. I have worked as a software developer, team leader, project manager, IT architect, CTO, founder, coach, consultant, solopreneur, and more. I have also published 3 books, 300+ articles and newsletters, created courses, YouTube videos, digital products, and manage various communities. And I did it all with a busy life, a 9-5 job, and 3 kids.My personal system works and helps me learn quickly, achieve my goals consistently, with high quality standards, and without sacrificing my health and precious family time. And that’s why I want to share it with you: my system. Actually, my goal is not only to share my experience, but also to create a community of like-minded people, and help each other grow as much as possible.Tell me more...Being a Knowledge Worker today is much more challenging than it ever was. Getting started isn’t easy, and there are many traps to avoid. Spare yourself some time and benefit from my experience and battle-tested systems. I’ll share everything I know with you: my approach, my systems, my routines, my templates, guidance, my courses, my starter kits, and more! My mission is to help you be part of the top 1% of Knowledge workers.After you finish exploring the guide, you’ll have: Clarity in your life and an obvious path forward Solid habits, routines, and systems Clear ideas about how to “manage” your career An effective approach to learning new things Solid knowledge management and personal organization systems Knowledge about how to organize, plan, control, and manage projects (large and small!) A toolkit to prioritize work A system to manage your tasks at scale Effective means to focus your attention and manage your time Work methods that will propel your career forward What’s included?WARNING: The Knowledge Worker Kit is in BETA. The content will be added and expanded over time. If you buy access now, you’ll benefit from the lowest price. The product is already available so that I can find early adopters and get as much feedback as possible in order to make it great for everyone.If you buy access to the Knowledge Worker Kit, you’ll get lifetime access to: The guide, the templates, guidance, references, and resources The private community All past, and future courses (e.g., the Knowledge Management for Beginners course, the Obsidian Starter Kit) All past, and future community events (meetups, workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, invited talks, etc) Ask Me Anything (AMA) Q&As with me My starter kits (e.g., the Obsidian Starter Kit) In addition, you’ll also get free access to all future content updates. Over time, I’ll continue expanding the guide with new ideas, techniques, systems, templates, and more!What’s in the guide?The guide is a Notion space that includes detailed explanations, guidance, deep dives into the systems I rely on daily, links, references, templates, and various resources that all Knowledge Workers should explore.You will get to explore the content at your own pace, and to focus on what is useful to you right now, as each section is actionable on its own.Importantly, the guide will keep growing. It’s an evergreen knowledge base. Over time, we will grow the content further, adding new guides, deeper explanations, videos, and more.It covers the following topics: 01. Clarity: values, behaviors, goals, non-goals, priorities, and intentions 02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methods 03. Career Management and Anticipation 04. Learning 05. Projects Knowledge Management and Journaling 06. Projects Organization 07. Planning and Prioritization 08. Task Management 09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and Action 10. Personal Development 11. Control: periodic reviews, progress tracking, course-adjustment 12. Personal Organization 13. Work Overview of the main topics01. ClarityThis part explores key elements that help bring clarity to one’s life: Needs Values Principles Goals Priorities Each of those is important to know what matters, what has value, and what to focus on.02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methodsThis part explores the base elements of productivity systems: Habits and routines Systems, processes, and methods Those are key to building an “effortless” life, requiring as little willpower/motivation as possible to make things happen.03. Career Management and AnticipationThis part focuses on career management: its importance, your responsibility, the mindset you need to acquire, and all the related ideas.04. LearningThis part shares ideas about how to… Learn how you best learn Learn more effectively Explore new topics Research Filter information Leverage AI and LLMs … 05. Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) and JournalingThis part explores how to collect, organize, and link all your knowledge and information. It explores the main concepts of PKM, note-taking, note-making, tools of the trade, and structures/tips to help you keep everything useful, manageable, and maintainable as your knowledge base grows.It also introduces journaling and how to approach it to support your whole life.06. Projects OrganizationThis part focuses on how to organize projects and their information in a way that enables you and your teams to make focused progress.It shares ideas about how to organize project information, how to document projects, how to organize backlogs, etc.07. Planning and PrioritizationThis part focuses on how to plan projects and tasks, how to deal with deadlines, and how to prioritize work using various methods.08. Task ManagementThis part focuses on task management for personal and professional projects. It explores ways to keep tasks under control, how to organize personal work, and how to make the link between your different backlogs and your day-to-day life.09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and ActionThis part focuses on how to make things happen every single day, regardless of whatever is going on in your life. It’s all about techniques, tips & tricks, and tools to help you better manage your time, focus, and attention in order to ACT.10. Personal DevelopmentThis part explores important aspects of Personal Development that can make a big difference in a Knowledge Worker’s life. A sane mind in a sane body.11. ControlThis part is dedicated to control. How to control your progress, your trajectory, your projects, etc. And also, how to adjust course when things don’t go as expected.12. Personal OrganizationThis part helps better organize yourself and your information. It shares “zen” techniques you can use to remain organized, independently of how much information you have to juggle with.13. WorkThis part is all about WORK. How to do the work, how to improve your attitude, your results, and your recognition. It also dives into how to better collaborate with others to achieve your goals and those of your company/group.
Introduction
Alignment and cohesion are of the utmost importance in order to life a happy and fulfilled life.
When the work you do is not aligned with your values, principles, goals, and priorities, it’s really tough to find motivation, drive, and energy. It’s actually a recipe for disaster.
Many Knowledge Workers never think about alignment or cohesion when making career choices, and end up demotivated, unfulfilled, unhappy or even burned out.
The reason is obvious: the work has no intrinsic value, and serves a single purpose: put food on the table. While that seems to be enough for many, I don’t think it’s a fulfilling way to live life. Especially knowing how much of our time we spend at work…
But what should you do instead?
Career alignment and cohesion
Alignment is all about compatibility between the work you do and your own values, principles, goals, and priorities. Seeking alignment means making career choices that enable you to reach your chosen goals. On the other hand, cohesion is more about compatibility between all the facets of your life.
Luckily, if you’re following my advice, then you should already have a clearer view about those. Whenever you make career decisions (at least once a year?), make sure to make an honest assessment about how aligned your choices are with what you really want to achieve.
For instance, if your job regularly requires you to go abroad while you want to spend enough time with your family, then you definitely have an alignment/cohesion issue. You’re going to be frustrated and unhappy, even if the work itself is fulfilling.
How to notice alignment problems
There are both obvious and subtle signs that your work is not aligned with you and your goals.
Here are some things that you should pay attention to:
- The projects you work feel uninspiring, uninteresting
- Your current job role doesn’t feel GREAT
- You feel frustrated by the work environment
- You sigh every time you think about going to work
- You procrastinate a lot, push back important projects and tasks
Procrastination is particularly interesting. Oftentimes, procrastination indicates that there’s an underlying inner conflict. It may be related to anxiety, fear, or simply, a lack of interest.
How to make the right career choices
You can make short-term choices that favor career advancement and money over alignment and cohesion, but make no mistake, because you might end up in a place that you don’t like. Life is short, so you need to make wise choices.
Don’t despair though. You will surely make mistakes. That’s part of the journey of life. At the end of the day, what matters is realizing that you’re not on the right path, and making better choices in the future.
I know many people who followed “rails” that led them to a dead end. But the road is long, and you can always choose a new path. It’s never too late.
Regularly take time to assess your current situation, and be honest with yourself. If you don’t like where you are or where you’re headed, then make changes. You’ll thank yourself later.
Be wary of your ego, because it’s your main enemy. Many people make career choices that flatter their ego, and end up unhappy as hell. Silence your ego, and make choices that you won’t regret.
Favor freedom and agency over money. Favor work-life balance over fancy job titles. Don’t chase status. Chase happiness.
Finally, keep in mind that oftentimes, the path of least resistance is not the most fulfilling one.
Going further
If you enjoyed this article, then take a look at the Knowledge Worker Kit. It covers many more topics of interest for Knowledge Workers: https://developassion.gumroad.com/l/knowledge-worker-kit
Knowledge Worker Kit and community (BETA)
Who is this for?You are an entrepreneur, founder, executive or leaderYou are a Knowledge Worker or Lifelong LearnerYou feel lost and overwhelmed by the pace of innovation, disorganized, or unproductiveYou want to be a top performer and stay ahead of the curveYou want to join a community of like-minded people you can exchange with, and learn fromYou want a solid system that scalesYou want to learn with the bestWhat is this?TL;DR: This is a private community accompanied by a detailed guide exploring many topics (e.g., Knowledge Work, Personal Organization, Learning, Time Management, Project Management, etc), sharing proven and scalable systems/guidance. The content will keep expanding over time, with courses, workshops, and more!The Knowledge Worker Kit is an evergreen project. You buy access once, and you get lifetime access to all the past and future content, courses, and events, including all the bonuses:Private communityDeep Dive Guide covering all the areas, as well as templates, references, and resourcesFree access to all future workshops, meetups, knowledge-sharing sessions, invited talks, AMAs, and to all the recorded sessions ...Included bonuses:Knowledge Management for Beginners Course ($69.99)Obsidian Starter Course ($69.99)Obsidian Starter Kit ($69.99)Personal Knowledge Management Library ($59.99)Beginner’s Guide to ObsidianTotal value of the included bonuses: $269.Evergreen ContentThe Knowledge Worker Kit is a living project, and a community of practice. It will continue expanding over time, and the value you will get out of it will keep growing. Day after day, week after week. Buy it once, and you will have access to all future content, courses, and events.Who is behind this?Hi, I’m Sébastien DuboisI’ve been passionate about Knowledge Management, Learning, Knowledge Work, Personal Organization, and Productivity for more than 20 years. As an author, entrepreneur, coach, and father of 3, I needed efficient and effective solutions to stay organized, focused, and productive. The Knowledge Worker Kit includes everything I know about these topics, and more!I have a proven track record of delivering at work, and with my side projects. I have worked as a software developer, team leader, project manager, IT architect, CTO, founder, coach, consultant, solopreneur, and more. I have also published 3 books, 300+ articles and newsletters, created courses, YouTube videos, digital products, and manage various communities. And I did it all with a busy life, a 9-5 job, and 3 kids.My personal system works and helps me learn quickly, achieve my goals consistently, with high quality standards, and without sacrificing my health and precious family time. And that’s why I want to share it with you: my system. Actually, my goal is not only to share my experience, but also to create a community of like-minded people, and help each other grow as much as possible.Tell me more...Being a Knowledge Worker today is much more challenging than it ever was. Getting started isn’t easy, and there are many traps to avoid. Spare yourself some time and benefit from my experience and battle-tested systems. I’ll share everything I know with you: my approach, my systems, my routines, my templates, guidance, my courses, my starter kits, and more! My mission is to help you be part of the top 1% of Knowledge workers.After you finish exploring the guide, you’ll have:Clarity in your life and an obvious path forwardSolid habits, routines, and systemsClear ideas about how to “manage” your careerAn effective approach to learning new thingsSolid knowledge management and personal organization systemsKnowledge about how to organize, plan, control, and manage projects (large and small!)A toolkit to prioritize workA system to manage your tasks at scaleEffective means to focus your attention and manage your timeWork methods that will propel your career forwardWhat’s included?WARNING: The Knowledge Worker Kit is in BETA. The content will be added and expanded over time. If you buy access now, you’ll benefit from the lowest price. The product is already available so that I can find early adopters and get as much feedback as possible in order to make it great for everyone.If you buy access to the Knowledge Worker Kit, you’ll get lifetime access to:The guide, the templates, guidance, references, and resourcesThe private communityAll past, and future courses (e.g., the Knowledge Management for Beginners course, the Obsidian Starter Kit)All past, and future community events (meetups, workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, invited talks, etc)Ask Me Anything (AMA) Q&As with meMy starter kits (e.g., the Obsidian Starter Kit)In addition, you’ll also get free access to all future content updates. Over time, I’ll continue expanding the guide with new ideas, techniques, systems, templates, and more!What’s in the guide?The guide is a Notion space that includes detailed explanations, guidance, deep dives into the systems I rely on daily, links, references, templates, and various resources that all Knowledge Workers should explore.You will get to explore the content at your own pace, and to focus on what is useful to you right now, as each section is actionable on its own.Importantly, the guide will keep growing. It’s an evergreen knowledge base. Over time, we will grow the content further, adding new guides, deeper explanations, videos, and more.It covers the following topics:01. Clarity: values, behaviors, goals, non-goals, priorities, and intentions02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methods03. Career Management and Anticipation04. Learning05. Projects Knowledge Management and Journaling06. Projects Organization07. Planning and Prioritization08. Task Management09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and Action10. Personal Development11. Control: periodic reviews, progress tracking, course-adjustment12. Personal Organization13. WorkOverview of the main topics01. ClarityThis part explores key elements that help bring clarity to one’s life:NeedsValuesPrinciplesGoalsPrioritiesEach of those is important to know what matters, what has value, and what to focus on.02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methodsThis part explores the base elements of productivity systems:Habits and routinesSystems, processes, and methodsThose are key to building an “effortless” life, requiring as little willpower/motivation as possible to make things happen.03. Career Management and AnticipationThis part focuses on career management: its importance, your responsibility, the mindset you need to acquire, and all the related ideas.04. LearningThis part shares ideas about how to…Learn how you best learnLearn more effectivelyExplore new topicsResearchFilter informationLeverage AI and LLMs…05. Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) and JournalingThis part explores how to collect, organize, and link all your knowledge and information. It explores the main concepts of PKM, note-taking, note-making, tools of the trade, and structures/tips to help you keep everything useful, manageable, and maintainable as your knowledge base grows.It also introduces journaling and how to approach it to support your whole life.06. Projects OrganizationThis part focuses on how to organize projects and their information in a way that enables you and your teams to make focused progress.It shares ideas about how to organize project information, how to document projects, how to organize backlogs, etc.07. Planning and PrioritizationThis part focuses on how to plan projects and tasks, how to deal with deadlines, and how to prioritize work using various methods.08. Task ManagementThis part focuses on task management for personal and professional projects. It explores ways to keep tasks under control, how to organize personal work, and how to make the link between your different backlogs and your day-to-day life.09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and ActionThis part focuses on how to make things happen every single day, regardless of whatever is going on in your life. It’s all about techniques, tips & tricks, and tools to help you better manage your time, focus, and attention in order to ACT.10. Personal DevelopmentThis part explores important aspects of Personal Development that can make a big difference in a Knowledge Worker’s life. A sane mind in a sane body.11. ControlThis part is dedicated to control. How to control your progress, your trajectory, your projects, etc. And also, how to adjust course when things don’t go as expected.12. Personal OrganizationThis part helps better organize yourself and your information. It shares “zen” techniques you can use to remain organized, independently of how much information you have to juggle with.13. WorkThis part is all about WORK. How to do the work, how to improve your attitude, your results, and your recognition. It also dives into how to better collaborate with others to achieve your goals and those of your company/group.
About Sébastien
I am Sébastien Dubois. You can follow me on X 🐦 and on BlueSky 🦋.
I am an author, founder, and coach. I write books and articles about Knowledge Work, Personal Knowledge Management, Note-taking, Lifelong Learning, Personal Organization, and Zen Productivity. I also craft lovely digital products . You can learn more about my projects here.
If you want to follow my work, then become a member.
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If you want to take a more holistic approach, then the Knowledge Worker Kit is for you. It covers PKM, but expands into productivity, personal organization, project/task management, and more:
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