You put your heart and soul into your job. You achieve success, even promotions and progress.
At least, it seems so. But on reflection, these successes don't make you as happy as you had hoped..
As famed American coach Tony Robbins puts it::
"Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure!"
You may have already realized your definition of success must be reevaluated.
But now you're wondering what else you could do or do differently!?
When success lacks flavor
You are so accustomed to this pace, structure, and even a certain comfort! Plus, you are very good at your job, and advancement is even promised! Yet you feel deep down that you're not on the right track... A small stone in your shoe intermittently reminds you that things aren't quite right...
It lacks flavor! Meaning! Impact!
What if I told you that you can change things? Maybe even more easily than you think. Without even changing everything about your professional daily life!
Read what follows and see how you can make a difference in a few hours.
Reconnect with yourself
As you might suspect, there will be some reflection involved. Ideally, it'll be insightful. The first step is to reconnect with yourself. With your heart, your gut, that little voice we don't always listen to.
I invite you to sit down with yourself. Choose the place and timing that will maximize calm and relaxation. This is not a task on your to-do list, but perhaps the most important conversation you'll ever have with yourself.
Take the time to set the right conditions. Those that promote your mental and emotional presence in the exercise.
If you're not quite there, give yourself a few minutes to reconnect with yourself with some relaxation or mindfulness exercise.
Then, grab a journal and let the following questions "brew". These 3 questions will change your work life!
3 simple questions to change your work life
1. What's important to you in your job beyond paying bills or taking your family on vacation? What does it personally bring you?
If the initial answer is "nothing," ask yourself what motivated you once to choose this profession. The fairy tale may have ended for a reason you must identify.
If it's still "nothing special...", ask yourself what activity can fascinate you to make you lose track of time. Reconnect with that, whether it's certain readings, gardening, or even your role in the football club...
Let's take the example of a young woman in the banking field. She has moved up a rung or two and is relatively satisfied with her situation. To this question, she responds enthusiastically, "Client advising! That's where I started!".
Identify what's essential
Here are the next questions:
2. Why are these last answers important to you? Our young banker's response could be: "Because finance is complex and opaque for many people, and helping others understand and make the right choices brings me satisfaction."
3. Why are these last answers important to you? Returning to our example: "Why is it important to help others make the right choices?" Response: "I come from a simple background and want to help in this field where I'm well-trained. I believe that's key for me."
And there it is - the desire to serve, to help others in your field. Strong values also emerge. The heart of her motivation is there! Fundamentally, the idea of helping others find their way is what will add zest to her daily life! She may have even started cultivating this in her friendships or extracurricular activities.
Repeat the process once or twice with the same question: "Why is this important to you?". Once you have identified this "core," you'll probably feel it clearly in your gut or heart. Take the time to savor the discovery: you've touched your deepest motivators or even more! It's what defines you and naturally drives you "from within"!
Wow! I'm not sure you realize the treasure you've unearthed, but if you've made a discovery, I invite you to continue.
Polish the diamond!
Your last answer probably needs some refinement.
What connections do you make with your values?
What connections with your past?
What connections with your childhood dreams?
What connections with your current position or the one you've always aspired to?
Let yourself be surprised by the insights these responses provide! Cross-reference the information and refine your thinking!
Our banker may realize that it's on the level of values that she no longer identifies with her position. Maybe she'll suddenly remember having played the role of advisor all her life among her loved ones. Perhaps she has strayed from advising, and her advancement has led to more management and less contact.
The importance of time for such questions
You can guess the mechanisms and space-time that such decantation might require. It took me a long time, lots of trial and error, to get to this essence personally. Allow yourself intervals of time. Work in iterations. Hone and refine the words to best match your feelings! Behind the idea of service, do you like the idea of advising? Coaching? Facilitating? These nuances could be of utmost importance!
When I undertook these reflections, the conclusions startled me because what now adds flavor to my daily life was not necessarily in line with what others could expect. I then renounced various things. And I made radical and difficult choices in the name of this treasure. And, to be clear, it's not comfortable. But when you truly listen to that little voice, fear and hesitation do not resist the courage that rises within you. You now make choices from a pillar of immense strength, not from a wavering ego.
Take the time to make yourself this gift
So imagine the joy of identifying these foundational and propelling elements! Imagine how everything regains meaning when you view it through the lens of this filter! Can you feel the energy rising? Can you sense how, by looking at your everyday life with this new perspective, enthusiasm could be rekindled?
Connect with this treasure by focusing your attention regularly on the subject. Imagine what it means to live in harmony with this on all levels of your life.
Don't wait any longer! Make an appointment with yourself and let all this settle! The return on investment is huge! And please tell me what you discover by doing this exercise and what might be holding you back. I'd be delighted to help you!
As you can understand, one step will remain on the path to realignment: implementation! We will discuss this in a future post. Until then, simply savor the journey...
As you can understand, one step will remain on the path to realignment: implementation! We will discuss this in a future post.
Until then, simply savor the journey and celebrate this step you make towards a more fulfilling success.
See you soon!
