There is one thing every person I coach wants more of: Happiness. Another way of describing this is: Fulfilment. Both happiness and fulfilment are states experienced by the individual and what happiness looks and feels like to you, will be unique to you.

How happy or fulfilled you feel, and the frequency and duration of these feelings, is often dependent upon individual perception, alignment of your career and life to your values, and honouring what you actually feel.

Lets examine each to explain.

Perception. Your happiness and experience of life is often influenced by the level of uncertainty you can accept in your life, and the lens you choose to apply to situations that arise. Let’s use an example of a restructure or, changing jobs. Naturally either event will be accompanied by a significant amount of uncertainty. The lack of control and the unknown, will likely create feelings of stress and fear. Your mind is wired to be twice as likely to focus on the negative outcomes of change, than it is the positive. With this knowledge however, you can understand the part perception plays in happiness. Let’s stop and think about an alternative perception or lens you can apply in either of these situations? Perhaps this change will bring new opportunities far better than your existing experience. Or, perhaps the last thing you wanted to happen, is in fact, about to create the best possible outcome for you.  

Personal Values. Identifying what you value most in life is critical to feeling happiness and fulfilment. Taking the important step of identifying your personal values, will help you navigate life by using your values like signposts - helping to guide you when challenges inevitably arise. When you live a life in alignment to your values, you are more likely to achieve sustainable happiness, rather than fleeting snippets of happiness. For many, making firm decisions can feel challenging despite wanting positive change, but when you know your values, you can make decisions aligned to these. As a result, your decision making will become braver, quicker, and easier. 

Honouring Feelings. The key word here is honouring what you feel and what you truly need, rather than supressing. Career happiness and fulfilment for most, is having a career that feels meaningful, feeling you’re making some sort of difference, and that you are maximising your natural talents. When you honour what you truly feel or need in your career, and then take action to make that a reality, you are living congruently rather than going against your own grain. The opposite is dishonouring what you truly want, and doing this, overtime you will adversely impact your health and wellbeing, your performance at work and your happiness and fulfilment in all aspects of life.

Career happiness and fulfilment comes from the actions you take that contribute to your growth. The actions that prove to you that you can overcome obstacles and lean into the change you ultimately know is required. Afterall, change and challenge is where the growth is, and growth makes you stronger and happier.

If you feel you could benefit from support right now, please reach out for a no obligation chat about how coaching can benefit you.