The Keystone of Career Success
I’ve decided to jump into the world of blogging in response to many requests to share some of the pearls of wisdom I’ve acquired over the years in helping others figure out their paths and achieve success in their careers. In this regard, “career success” is defined as a lifetime of work that may take divergent paths at times but provides a sense of fulfillment and, ultimately, happiness in life overall. It’s important to note that if one is not happy at work, the feeling of frustration, pointlessness, or whatever it is that causes the unhappiness spills over to the rest of life, including relationships with family, friends, and others.
So, the burning question is, “What is the secret ingredient of career success?” Many people search an entire lifetime trying to discover the element that will create fulfillment and a sense of reward in their work. Working with hundreds of individuals over the years has convinced me that without a doubt, the keystone of career success is to do what you are! Work that feels comfortable, natural, and energizing is a sure sign that your work epitomizes your inner core and allows you to work in a way that brings huge positive results, both in the results of the work itself and in your life as a whole. A sense of wholeness and motivation to reach even higher heights is typical of individuals who are engaged in work that allows them to express the essence of themselves.
Ready to discover who you are? All that's needed for this journey is your readiness to make the trip and a little guidance along the way. The principal investment is your time and energy as you explore four main areas: your abilities, interests, personality, and values. If your work is not aligned with who you are in each of these areas, you're on the wrong path. Examples of this misalignment abound. So often you can be interested in a particular type of work or college major but if your abilities are not quite up to par, it's not a good fit. Or, you may choose a path based on your strengths but realize after awhile that your interests are lacking. Not a good choice! Different personalities are better suited to certain careers than to others. For example, consider teachers. We can probably each recall a teacher along the way who had the interest and the knowledge necessary to lead a class but just did not have the right personality to relate well to the students. The final area to explore is your values and I think this is the most neglected area. We can be in a career that suits our abilities, interests, and personality, but if our values are not honored, it's not a good fit. When we compromise on who we are in terms of our values, we realize we're in work that cuts across our grain.
I'll help you chart your journey so that your career can truly be based on who you are in these four key areas. Stay tuned for my next post for direction about how to explore in-depth these four areas as they pertain to YOU. The result will be that when your alarm clock sounds in the morning, you wake up looking forward to the day ahead and come home with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Wise Confucius gave us good insight into career desicion-making when he said, "Choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life."