Career Fulfillment – Are you stuck in a job that no longer satisfies you? Do you have a “workstyle” or a “lifestyle”? Are you thinking about starting your own business but don’t know what it is or where to start? One of the most important aspects of personal happiness is having a career or job that excites you. Together we can explore your passions and develop a plan to make it happen.

The current economic climate has caused much alarm. Many of us are being faced with job losses, foreclosures, shrinking retirement accounts, credit crunches and an overall increase in costs for food, fuel, healthcare and housing. While it is easy to get discouraged and feel a sense of despair, it is important to remember that you are never powerless. You always have the power of choice. You can choose how to think and respond to the circumstances and events going on around you. You are in charge of your own state of mind and only you can choose to think positively or drown in sea of negativity. So, how will you choose to respond? Will you immediately panic, think dreadful thoughts and be immobilized by fear, anxiety and depression? Or, will you recognize your own power to change your thinking, explore your options, and take the necessary actions to improve your situation?

One way to counter the effects of all the doom and gloom media reports is to remain hopeful.

Oh sure…I can hear you say! How can I expect to stay hopeful in the midst of all this chaos?  Well, you can start by developing a clear vision of your future and staying focused on it.

You cannot expect to change your present situation by focusing on what is. Giving attention to negativity, stress and panic only keeps you immobilized. Yes, it is important to acknowledge your fears and concerns but you must move beyond these feelings if you want to bring about the changes you desire. Accept where you are at the moment but make a conscious decision to do something about it! Having a clear vision for your future is vital. A powerful vision gives you the bigger picture. It is the driving force that propels you forward. Once you are clear about your vision, you can take the necessary actions that will lead you to its fulfillment. Having a strong vision gives you a greater sense of hope which supports you in the pursuit of your goals.

In addition to hope, I would add faith and joy as other essential ingredients. When you have faith, you know that things can and will change for the better. Faith also empowers you to take more risks.

Joy always makes us feel good and ultimately, that’s what we all want. So seek out as much joy as you can and enjoy the process. Know that you can always improve any situation and remember there are many valuable life lessons to be learned along the way.

Separate what you can control from that which is out of your control. Worrying about things you cannot control will only lead to increased stress, tension, fear, and anxiety. Focus on the things you can control. Change your thoughts and the way you talk to yourself. Seek out support and assistance from others whenever necessary, and do whatever you can do to improve your situation.

Finally, take a broader perspective. There is a natural ebb and flow to everything in life. Things are constantly changing and you can always take positive steps to improve any situation. Above all, remember that you are not your bank account, your credit score or your job title.

• You are a magnificent and powerful being.
• You have value and worth just as you are.

So, stay hopeful, keep the faith and move forward in joyful optimism!

Even if you’ve landed your dream job, it’s possible to fall into a pattern where you find your work far from enjoyable.

When you’re dissatisfied with your work, it can be a huge chore to get up in the morning and you may even feel hopeless.

However, the good news is that you can change certain aspects of how you approach your work in order to find satisfaction in the job you’ve already got.

Follow these tips to increase your satisfaction at work:

1. Keep open dialogues - It’s truly important to keep open dialogues with your colleagues and superiors. Voice your concerns calmly, without sounding blunt and unappreciative. If no one knows that you’re dissatisfied, nothing will ever be done to fix the problem!

2. Reward yourself – You can increase your own personal satisfaction by deciding on certain rewards that you can give yourself once you’ve completed a task successfully. For example, if you’ve worked hard all week, allow yourself a fun Friday night. Don’t wait for anyone else to reward you!

3. Handling stress – Start looking at how you handle stress. Unfortunately, there’s a certain amount of stress associated with every career. Are you actively searching for ways to vent your stress or are you keeping it bottled up inside? Make sure you have proper releases for work stress as well as home stress.

4. Avoid getting stuck in a rut - It’s difficult when you feel like you aren’t making steps in the right direction. You might feel like everyday is the same and that you aren’t getting to explore your full potential. Think about what your goals are at your current job and ask yourself what actions you’re taking in order to get there. Reformulate your action plan if necessary, and then take steps to move you forward again toward your goals.

5. Think positive thoughts - Your life is what you make of it. When you adopt a positive mindset, things will more often go your way. When you think negatively, of course your job will continue to be unsatisfying! Remain optimistic and you’ll find the drive needed to keep working toward positive goals.

6. Make a change - If you find that you’re truly in the wrong line of work, it’s time to plan out a change for the better. As a last resort, if you truly feel that there’s nothing you can do to improve your current situation, then make an attainable plan for change. You may want the same position at another company, or an entire career change all together, whatever it is, find out what you need to do, and then do it!

Right Mindset And Action

In the end, as long as you strive for a positive mindset and take action toward your goals, good things will happen for you. When people are stuck, they tend to freeze and feel helpless. If this happens, it can turn into a vicious cycle that you might believe is unbreakable. But it isn’t!

Take charge of your thoughts to break the negativity and take small steps each day toward a better life. Making a change overnight is overwhelming, but when you take small steps, change happens easily. Before you know it, you’ll be at least a little more satisfied and fulfilled at work.

Wandering around aimlessly from day to day provides absolutely no benefit to you or those around you. An unspecified purpose leaves you frustrated and lacking direction with everything you do.

If you don’t already know your purpose in life, take some time to reflect on what it might be. Then make sure everything you do lines up with this purpose.

Discover Your Purpose

In order to find your purpose, look at the things you love to do and what makes you tick. The trick is to figure out where you draw your internal energy from and where your gifts and talents are best used.

What do you do to recharge your batteries? What do you absolutely love to do? Take a little time to figure this out and then focus on it.

Choose Activities That Fulfill Your Purpose

Once you identify your purpose, look at the things you do on a day-to-day basis. Do these activities add to your purpose or take away from it? Everything you say, do, think and act on should complement your purpose and help fulfill you.

If it isn’t doing this, either drop the activity or delegate it to someone else.

An example of a purpose you might have is to provide a healthy and comfortable life for you and your partner. What types of activities do you think fall in line with this purpose? Let’s look at a few and see how they line up with your personal life purpose.

• Cooking. Cooking your own food allows you to be the top chef. You get to choose the ingredients in your food, rather than relying on some other person or company.  You can take out the salt, add flavor with herbs and spices, and reduce your portions to create something that fits within your healthy lifestyle. Plus you’re saving money, which can be used for personal enjoyment or a vacation retreat.

 

• Cleaning. Keeping a clean house fulfills both the healthy and comfortable parts of your purpose. By doing things like dusting, washing dishes, and taking out the garbage, you’re staying healthy. Removing the clutter creates a more comfortable living environment.

 

• Exercise. Exercising, along with activities like yoga and meditation, help keep your mind and body healthy and comfortable. These activities keep your weight down and make you feel better inside and out, which will also keep you strong.

As you can see, each one of these activities adds to your purpose. Things that distract you from your purpose might include eating out excessively, living beyond your means, and even sitting around doing nothing all day.

Negative or unfulfilling activities can be exchanged for the ones that supercharge both you and your life purpose.

Live With Purpose at Work, Too

For your professional purpose, you might have a passion to plan social events for you and your coworkers.

You can accomplish this by volunteering for your company’s activities committee or being on a board that plans events and meetings. You can also start your own activity group and get things together for employee birthday parties in the office.

You can see how these ideas and actions fall directly in line with your passion and purpose. Obviously you still have to get your job done, but you can certainly use your free time to fulfill your purpose.

Once you’ve identified your purpose, I challenge you to live your life with intensity toward that purpose. Do everything you can to focus on your calling with the things you say, think and do. If it isn’t necessary or doesn’t align with your goals, let it go.

Living your life with intense purpose renews your passion for life and enables you to be the best you can be. It strengthens your self-confidence and, best of all, brings self-fulfillment. Find your purpose today, and give it all you’ve got!