Having a satisfying career is a continuing process of checking in and being self-aware. A career is not something you set and forget. It requires periodic checks to ensure you are still on course for accomplishing what you’re uniquely designed to do. What does life want from you?
What happens more often than not is people spend the majority of their lives laboring at work, often in jobs that don’t fulfill them.
This misalignment with work and self happens in stages. Signs can include an undefined yearning for change, an unshakable restlessness, a profound sense of emptiness.
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“Working with Jennifer has been extraordinarily beneficial and deeply impactful for me. Jennifer has helped me sort through professional disappointment and challenge in a way I wasn’t sure was possible. After finding new energy and clear purpose, I am “re-careering in place,” taking on a bigger, broader leadership role in my organization. Moreover, Jennifer has helped me to reconnect with my authentic self, to find better balance and a healthier outlook not just on work but life. I can’t recommend Jennifer highly enough. If you are ready to do the work to move yourself to a place of greater fulfillment, Jennifer is the career coach you need.”
What happens is we get comfortable in the routines that characterize our daily lives and we miss the inner signals and cues to what we need to become for the next stage of our work life. What’s lacking for many of us is taking the time to be still and consider if our daily routines care the right ones and if our daily work aligns with our deepest values.
Our deepest held values are critical to understanding ourselves. Without clarity about who we are, we will never know whether what we’re doing is aligned with what we have been designed to do. By seeking congruence between and among our core values, our efforts and pursuits will align, and our development guided.
True thinking is driven by questions. Be curious about yourself. Observe and don’t analyze. Allocate time on your calendar to take stock of your current career situation on a regular basis. Is some vital part of you going unused?
Success by its number of definitions is not certain. Leading a fulfilling career may mean living an unspectacular life. The journey may be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and may take many twists and turns. It’s not about the personal benefits. It’s about the good you add to the world.
When we choose career courage over career comfort, the fulfillment of knowing we are doing what we are uniquely qualified to do is worth it in inexplicable ways. What are you willing to give up to lead a fulfilling career?
Thinking bravely about your career takes place within the context of community. Community is where we discover and live out our unique qualifications. Others often see our unique qualifications before we do. We tend to take the things that come easily to us for granted.
Career change of any sort can be frightening because it forces us to confront the elements of the unknown. The mind is not binary. Given the chance, it can consider multiple options and provide us with just enough practice to move from small steps to even bigger, braver steps.
You will know you are on the right track when you feel a deep sense of knowing, when you feel more alive in your actions, and when you are moving toward something rather than away from something.
So make it a regular occurrence to make time for stillness and career clarity. Check alignment through introspection, hard work, and perseverance. Do these things and you will avoid losing your way.
Ready to check your alignment? Schedule your FREE Career Strategy Session today!