Life Lessons in Recognizing Career Fulfillment
Growing up, I didn't know anybody who liked their job. People constantly complained about how they hated their job and nobody seemed to be fulfilled in their career either. So I thought that's just how work was. I assumed working meant hating your job, your boss, and what you were being paid, and nobody expected to really feel fulfilled or invaluable in your career.
But the truth is now that I've aged a little and understand a little more, I have experienced career fulfillment for myself. Also I now know what it means and I have learned to assess it for other people as well.
The first sign you are being fulfilled by your career is the feeling of being settled. In general if you are experiencing something that's good, your body's going to tell you by feeling calm. So if you feel calm and at ease when Sunday nights roll around and you prepare for the work week ahead, that is a positive, green career flag.
Another signal of career fulfillment is that you get excited to go to work and engage with colleagues and staff. And by excited, I mean excited intellectually. You feel positive energy from the thought of walking into a room of other smart people who have really great ideas and values similar to your own. Faced with the chance to engage with other people intellectually, you experience some sense of interest and intrigue.
The third positive flag is having your clients and customers rave about the transformational experience they have when working with you. This is my favorite sense of professional fulfillment and one that I am blessed to experience every single day. Every time I connect with a mentee or serve a woman in my program who talks about the transformational power of the Mentor Me Accelerator or the Mastermind, I am overwhelmed to hear how she's showing up differently, positioning herself better after experiencing my mentorship. That means so much to me. This signals fulfilling a commitment and a promise to a client, customer, student, or stakeholder.
Maybe you're not experiencing any of the success, excitement, impact, or financial security I’ve discussed today. If you can’t relate to having those in your professional life, then that's a problem and a sign that you need mentorship.
Check back each week for the newest blog post from Mentor Me!