IWillTeachYouToBeRich - Worst of the worst career advice

Hey Reader,

Three things that drive me absolutely crazy:

1. Mild salsa
2. Meetings without an agenda ("Why would you!?!")
3. Bad career advice

Thankfully, the first two are easy to avoid. But bad career advice is everywhere. It seems like the crappier the career advice, the more ready people are to share it with you.

The worst of the worst is this gem: "You should just be happy to have a job at all."

In fact, they usually say, "You should be happy to have a job at all…in an economy like this."

One problem, though. THEY'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR 10 YEARS!

They say it when the economy is good. They say it when the economy is bad. (Maybe if you say this no matter what the economy is doing, up or down, it says more about you than about anything going on outside.)

Today, I want to give you a different way of looking at your career. I call it YES and YES.

"Yes, I am fortunate that I have a job. Yes, I am fortunate I can pay my rent and put food on the table. I'm happy and thankful, but I'm not satisfied."

It's a simple, small mental shift, but actually quite profound.

It's OK to be happy and unsatisfied. 

• You can be grateful for the work you're doing now...and still want to find your dream job. 

• You can be thankful for your current team...and still want to learn how to interview like a top performer.

• You can appreciate all the hard work, skills, connections and lucky breaks that got you where you are today...and still want to keep growing.

Don't let people give you advice that keeps you stuck where you're at, no matter how good or bad your current spot is. Don't let people hold you back like that, even if they think they're being helpful.

Be happy. Be grateful. And still push yourself to be the best you can be.

P.S. What would a better job look like for you? What is your dream job? Reply to this email and let me know. I read every response.

P.P.S. Not sure if you're happy and/or satisfied with your current job? Take the "Is your job toxic?" quiz here (30 sec).

Here's how to interpret your responses:

• If you answer "YES" just 2 times or fewer — you've got a great job. Congratulations!

• If you answer "YES" 3 or 4 times — you've got a decent job, but there's room for improvement.

• If you answer "YES" 5 or 6 times — you're stuck in a bad job...and you likely know it. It’s time to make a change.

• If you answer "YES" more than 6 times — this is bad. There are long-term consequences to staying somewhere like this.