Did you know that over half of Australians are currently unhappy at work?
The quest for more happiness and meaning in our careers is causing many of us to push ourselves to make serious changes.
I still can’t fully grasp the fact that I recently (7yrs ago) made one of those BIG changes. I’m taking my life in a new direction and I don’t know how the story will end. And for a woman who loves herself a good plan, you better believe this is scary! Gulp.
That’s right, after 25+years in the corporate sector, I said goodbye to my steady wage and strong career identity and had to retrain and upskill to pursue a new career dream. The only thing is – my dream isn’t fully defined yet. While I know I want to help women and young women live more fulfilled and meaningful lives, I don’t completely know what that looks like. And that’s ok. It’s a crazy adventure that I am loving so far.
How I Got Here
For years I’ve focused on achieving specific goals. But once I achieved those goals, the result wasn’t exactly what I imagined. I was still yearning for more joy and meaning, more purpose and passion. So, then I was on to the next goal, leading to endless cycle of accomplishment without fulfilment.
To break the cycle of not feeling fulfilled professionally once my goal was achieved, I met with a career coach. While I thought maybe I needed a new job or a new industry to be happy, what I really needed was a “mind redesign.” My career coach reassured me it’s okay to not know what my professional end game is and encouraged me to not focus on the outcome. She said, “You don’t have to know, but you do have to do.”
In other words, to find professional happiness, I needed to start doing the things that bring me joy as well as help others to eventually turn into a career I love. Also, by doing (vs thinking and planning) I will do the learning and adapting along the way needed to get clarity on what a fulfilling career looks like for me.
Based on this new direction, I started curating content (articles, book, blogs, radio show & podcast) and providing mentoring and coaching to help women and young women achieve career success along with personal happiness. While I don’t know how this story will end, I’m enjoying the adventure and feeling more fulfilled professionally than I have in years.
Tips to Find Your Kickass Career Fulfilment and Purpose.
Ready to focus on your kickass career journey? Here are some tips to find more happiness in the process:
Identify what brings you happiness. Pay attention to how you use your free time or what you are doing when you are in the “zone.” Ask yourself “what makes time fly by?” Is doing what you also enjoy something that can benefit others? How can you share these passions with others? How can you turn them into an income generator?
Get out of your comfort zone. Often we don’t know what we like or are capable of until we try something for the first time. Challenge yourself to try one new thing a week as a way to learn and grow and discover new interests and possibilities. Read more at How to Improve Your Mindset at Work.
Reflect on what you’ve learned by doing. Do you like doing what brings you happiness as a hobby and not a career? What works/what doesn’t when you imagine your ideal life?
Make sure you’re enjoying the journey. If you are not having fun, stop and do something else.
Even though I’m scared about this risk I’m taking, I’m so excited to follow this path and promise to keep you updated along the way. It’s all about living a life filled with happiness and purpose – let’s pursue it together!
What could you do to take more risks and embark on a kickass career journey that’s authentically you?
Post a comment below and let me know.
