There are several clues that will let you know if your work is out of alignment with what you came here to do:
- You feel bored, restless, and disengaged.
- You feel burned out, stressed, and often dread facing another work day.
- You have lost the passion and enthusiasm you used to have for your role.
- Your values feel compromised or violated by aspects of your role.
- You find yourself daydreaming about doing something entirely different.
- You feel underutilized and that your gifts aren’t being expressed.
If you resonate with any of these signs, the first step is to clarify your deeper purpose, then assess whether it’s possible to make some shifts in your current role that would resolve the misalignment.
For example, a lateral move might be the perfect solution.
A client of mine I’ll call Eric became unhappy with his position as a software project manager. When we discovered that his purpose was to forge connections between disjoint things, he identified a possible lateral move in his company to become an internal tools product manager.
Eric realized that serving different teams across the organization would fulfill his purpose. He made the switch and fell in love with work again.
For others, a complete change could be needed.
Another client I’ll call Denise was a dissatisfied serial entrepreneur who knew she needed a new direction but wasn’t clear where to go next. She was surprised and delighted to find that her purpose was to connect people to the beauty that lies within themselves and the world around them.
Out of this information Denise decided to launch a company that created designer silk scarves. She loves her new company and line of work.
Is there a move that would align you more fully with your purpose?