Find Your Cause: How to Narrow Down Which Impact You Want to Make in Your Career
"I want to make a difference" is a great starting point but a terrible plan.
As an empathetic person who wants to change the world, you might find that you care about nearly every cause out there. From environmentalism, to education, to addressing bias and beyond, it can be hard to pinpoint where to focus your energy. And, as reluctant as we may be to admit it, no one person can do every single thing.
Whether your career plan for social impact involves nonprofit work, extra time off for volunteering, making money for philanthropy, or something else, this activity will help you get clear on where you - as a human being with your own valid needs and passions - want to devote the majority of your time. Because you can do anything, but you can't do everything.
“It is not your responsibility to complete the work of repairing the world, but neither are you free to desist from it.” -Pirkei Avot
Step 1: What Frustrates You?
Start by making a list of everything that frustrates you about the world. If you need inspiration, just open the news! Maybe awareness and advocacy for neurodiversity is close to your heart. Maybe your blood boils at the statistics around climate change or environmental despair. Maybe combatting bias and hate lands near the top of your list, since it touches so many different types of prejudice and injustice under one umbrella. Write it all down, unfiltered, and let this list be as long as it needs to be.
Step 2: The Hard Part
Time to start crossing things off the list. Imagine you had to stay silent on one of these causes - which would it be? Ask yourself this question again and again, and watch your list shrink. You might cross things off because you’re simply not as passionate about them, or you might cross them off because they hit too close to home and you would find it triggering to engage with this topic on a regular basis. Whatever your reasons, keep crossing things off (or combining similar ones into broader categories) until you're left with your top three.
Important note: you are not agreeing to be complacent about any of these issues. Even if you don't focus on something in your career, you can still donate here and there, vote according to your values, educate others in casual conversations, and more. But for the purpose of this exercise, pretend that if it doesn't exist in your career strategy, it doesn't exist to you.
Step 3: Your Direction
Turn your top three causes into a roadmap. Once you know your cause, it opens up so many paths for building it into your life. Check out 7 Ways to Change the World in Your Career for the full breakdown of what that can look like, in or out of your working hours.
Use your chosen causes as keywords in job searches and general research to get a feel for what types of institutions are taking the lead on these causes - globally, nationally, and locally.
If you’re considering a career in nonprofits, look at the staff pages for these organizations to learn the many types of roles that contribute to keeping these vital services running (from HR teams to custodial staff, so many different kinds of employees help make a difference just by choosing to bring their expertise and time to a meaningful institution).
If you’re planning to practice philanthropy or spend your free time volunteering, you’ve now got an excellent starting point for your donation plan or volunteer programs to get involved with.
The Takeaway
You don't need to have it all figured out to start moving with intention. This activity isn't about locking you into one cause forever - you can always reinvent your path. It's about giving your career plan for social impact a filter to optimize for, instead of drowning in decision paralysis because your heart is so big.
If narrowing this down on your own feels overwhelming, that's a normal reaction to a massive life question. This is exactly the kind of thing we work through together in sessions. Book a career clarity call with me and let's find your top three!
Still feeling a little stuck?
No pressure, but if your brain is doing that thing where it spirals about your future at 11pm, a Career Clarity Call might save you a few sleepless nights. We’ve got you! Hop on a quick 30 min call with me for just $20, or grab a package of longer sessions for a deep dive into your next steps.
