Job or career?

There is a very big distinction made between having a job or having a career. It's one thing for a woman--a mother, specifically--to work outside of the home. It's entirely another thing for her to have a career.

First, let's make sure we're on the same page. A job is work that you do for financial gain. You go in, you do something that someone finds valuable, and you get paid. A career is more than that. A career is a long-term plan. A career has a goal in mind; you are not showing up simply for the paycheck, but you have longer term goals in mind. You want to move up. You want to develop. If the career is the strategy; the jobs are the execution of that strategy.

I've always been very career-minded. I'm a go-getter. I want to be best at whatever I do, and, once I've conquered a process or situation, I am ready for the next challenge. This is probably why I've been able to move up the ranks at the places where I've worked so quickly. I work hard and find enjoyment in a job well done. I've mentioned before, but I have a high need for achievement.



But what happens when life comes in and suddenly (adorably, in the case of little children) seems so much more important? What happens when you've built your whole life, your identity on doing something and being the best at something and it finally becomes painfully obvious that it doesn't really matter?

Can you really stop having a career and start just having a job? Can you convince yourself it's OK not to go for that big project, that next promotion, because you didn't really have time for it anyway? After a lifetime of "leaning in", a la Sheryl Sandberg, can you one day just start "leaning out"?

I'm not ready to opt out entirely. I enjoy what I do. But how do I fit work plus everything else that needs to get done into the day?  Is it OK to lean out a little? Or will I lose my place if I don't stay fully engaged? I'm a little scared to find out.