People often confuse the term job with the term career, not realising that one can have many jobs and only one career. While people may use these terms interchangeably, there are key differences between the two that can determine how happy you are in your life, how well-respected you are by those around you, and how much money you make over time.

If you want to avoid being stuck in the same old thing year after year, it might be time to ask yourself if your job is really a career or just a way to pass the time.

The Difference Between a Job and a Career

A job is typically an activity you perform for monetary gain. A career, on the other hand, is something that you commit time and energy towards in order to build your skill set and increase your expertise within a given field.

If you don’t see yourself as being fulfilled by what you do now, it might be time to start considering whether your job is actually a career—and if not, whether it’s worth investing more time and energy into.

Keep Moving Forward, Even If You Have No Idea Where That Is

Having a vision for your career will help you decide whether you’re actually building up your future, or just passing time. And if you aren’t quite sure what that vision is, it doesn’t mean you don’t have one. It just means that it may be hard to see what it is when you are still so close to where you started. Keep moving forward, keep evolving and always ask yourself—is what I am doing right now really helping me get closer to my goal?

Don’t Be Afraid to Change Industries

If you’re feeling unfulfilled at work, take comfort in knowing that you can change industries. Whether it’s something that’s always been on your mind or just an idea you had recently, remember that there are very few doors closed for you. All it takes is hard work and research to find out if your new industry is right for you!

Why Having Goals (Even If They Are Unreachable) Helps Improve Your Work

A study done in January at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business found that people who write down goals and are able to map out ways they can achieve them are more likely to be successful. Goal-setting has been shown to increase worker productivity, performance and well-being.

In fact, just making goals public has been proven beneficial: IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad famously posted his three world conquest goals on a billboard outside his office. The first was 'To own my own factory by age 30.' The second was 'To drive across America from coast to coast with my own car by age 35.' The third was 'To build a castle by age 40 where I live now with my family and relatives.' He accomplished all three goals before he turned 40 years old, which is why he took down the billboard—he didn’t need it anymore!

How Having Goals Also Gives You Something To Work Toward

Whether you’re in high school, university, or beginning your career, having goals is essential. Knowing what you want to do allows you to make better choices—and work smarter and harder—to get there. So figure out what you want and start working toward it! You’ll be glad you did. And so will everyone else.

 Having something you’re striving for means you’ll be more engaged in your work and stay focused on what’s important. It also allows you to turn down opportunities that aren’t part of your long-term plan, so if someone comes along with an amazing career opportunity tomorrow, you can be sure it fits into where you want to go in life before saying yes.

You won’t regret it later!

The Importance of Having Something Else Outside of Work

You may not see it now, but working towards something bigger than yourself is crucial in achieving happiness. You don’t have to work towards saving lives every day—you can work on projects that make you feel fulfilled and useful even if they’re not going to make your next pay check any bigger.

Writing down at least one long-term goal outside of work can keep you laser-focused on what you want out of life, instead of how much money your job makes you. 

If you find that your goals are constantly changing because they’re being influenced by factors inside and outside of work, ask yourself why you haven’t created some goals for yourself that are completely separate from anything related to your career.

This will help you stay focused on what really matters: living a happy life.