Career Success, Uncertainty & Alignment
It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing others have had an easy path to get where they are. Lets take the colleague who always seems to land the perfect job, or the LinkedIn post announcing yet another promotion. Naturally you may wonder; How did they do it? Why does everything seem so easy for them?
The truth is, no one's career journey is as perfect as it may appear. You’re often seeing the highlight reel, the peak moments. Because, behind every success story, there are struggles, setbacks, and moments of deep uncertainty.
What matters most in your career, is how true what you’re doing, feels to you. Alignment to ‘your truth’ is the key to genuine career fulfilment and captured beautifully in this quote: “It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly, than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.”
For me personally, the first decade of my career (long before I became a Career Coach), I was living somebody else’s definition of success. It was so far from my truth, I would wake daily feeling like a fraud, feeling deep incongruency and wondering; When can I get out?
So how do you create a career that feels aligned to your truth and your own definition of success?
Make decisions based on what you want, rather than trying to conform to what you think others may expect or what you think is the ‘right’ way to succeed.
Acknowledge that no one’s career journey is perfect, and that’s ok. In fact, it’s often the detours, the ‘mistakes’, the unexpected turns—that make it so fulfilling and after time, provide the best stories.
Know it’s ok to make a career change after years of experience in one field. It’s ok to take time off to pursue personal growth. It’s ok to step down from a leadership position to re-evaluate your priorities. These times are often where the most profound personal and professional growth happens.
Remember that success is not a straight line. It’s ups and downs, victories and so-called failures, each of which contributes to shaping who you become. When you remember that challenges are often leading you in the right direction, you open yourself up to curiosity and wonder.
Stop worrying about what others think or may say. Let them. You’re not going to look back aged 90 and think, “I wished I had cared more what others thought about me”. You know you’re going to wish the opposite; that you had cared less about what others thought and more about what you thought.
Through living your truth, you reach your true potential. You feel fulfilled. Now that, is success.
~ To enquire about career coaching and working together to create a career that fees aligned to your potential, purpose, values, and passions, reach out today for a no-obligation discussion.