A fulfilling career is what every working person wants. It enables us to apply our values, talents, and interests while meeting our financial and personal needs. It also allows us to expand our skill sets as we progressively work on more challenging yet rewarding tasks.
Most people with fulfilling careers feel secure and happy since they’re in supportive environments that show the connection between their diligence and its results. They tend to have a sense of purpose, which improves their professional growth and self-esteem outside of work.
The most important question is: how can you craft a fulfilling career? Check it out here:
➤ Commit to Regular Self-Audits
Be clear about your values and motives. By definition, “values” are important things in your life that you can’t trade off, while “motives” are your motivations or things that energize and fulfill you. Both values and motives are key to making better career decisions.
Progressing in your career isn’t always enough. Find “good work” that is a heartfelt expression of yourself, energizes you, and has meaning to everyone around you. To do so, regularly listen to your inner self, determine your values and motives, and recalibrate your life into something richer and more balanced.
The problem is that sometimes understanding your values and motives may take a lot of self-reflection. For example, recognizing you’re no longer progressing or being challenged at work, or wanting to spend more time with your loved ones can be a hard nut to crack, especially if you’re a high-achieving person.
If you’re lost, consider doing a two-part audit. The first step is listing all your activities from the past month. Then, categorize each activity as an “energy creator,” “neutral,” or an “energy reducer.” It’s recommended to cast color codes for this audit. For example, green for energy creators, yellow for neutral activities, and red for energy reducers.
Pull out the audit at the end of the month. Look for trends, such as activities that motivate and demotivate you. For motivating activities, think of how to create a work environment where you do more of them. In contrast, for demotivating activities, ask yourself whether you can take them off your plate.
Take these motivational and demotivating activities as a sign for your career journey. For example, if many tasks that motivated and inspired you weren’t part of your current job, it’s probably time for you to self-reflect and find another job that aligns with your values.
➤ Opt for A Company with Healthy Workplace Culture
Working at a company with a healthy workplace culture also contributes to having a fulfilling career. A “healthy workplace” is where employees feel comfortable, safe, valued, and flush with growth opportunities. This doesn’t only benefit the workforce but also the company. The happier and more satisfied the employees are, the more productive they’ll be.
How to find a company with a healthy workplace culture? Remember the following five factors:
- Good employee engagement
- Good employee retention
- Flexible workday
- Collaborative work environment (where employees can communicate)
- Strong employer brand
Additionally, a company with a healthy workplace culture offers you the resources not only for completing your duties but also taking care of your optimal well-being. These may include looking up health insurance quotes online and finding the right one for you, work inclusivity and flexibility for older employees, and other common benefits, such as healthcare, gym memberships, vacation days, and fair pay raises.
➤ Don’t Let Your Beliefs Limit You
One’s level of achievement is often based on what you think your life will amount to and what you think you can achieve. You may have developed these thoughts years or even decades ago, which essentially brought you to where you’re right now.
However, these are “limiting beliefs.” They’re the limits you place on yourself, which also limit the growth of your career path. The good thing is, since you’re the one who sets these limits, you have the power to replace them with much more empowering beliefs. Break free of limiting beliefs and raise your standards because you deserve better, including a more satisfying career.
➤ Invest In Yourself
One’s ability to adapt and learn is crucial to career survival and growth. That’s why it’s essential to invest in yourself. Don’t solely rely on career growth opportunities offered by a good company. Make a conscious effort to increase your skill sets.
Just listening to informative podcasts while running, watching educational videos while eating, or reading books while commuting can already do the trick. By being so, you’ll be upping your knowledge base and value.
Final Thoughts
What shape our career paths take depends on how we define success, which differs from person to person. But there’s one thing we all have in common. We all must proactively create our professional path through intentional choices and actions. Choose a job that aligns with your values and motives, find a company with a healthy culture, raise your standard, and aim to be a lifelong learner, and surely you’ll have a fulfilling career.