Watch The 4th Episode in the Series
Embodied Leadership: A Learning Together Serie
Aligning Work & Progress
We spend a lot of time at work. In fact, a huge chunk of our lives is spent qhere. As we understand more about who we are and our connectedness to all around us, it is important for us to seek out and align with our purpose especially as it relates to career and leadership. The importance of self-reflection and aligning one’s career and life choices with their innate purpose leads to greater fulfillment and effectiveness as a leader.
The Problem
The problem of unfulfilling work which resonates with many individuals is that they find themselves in roles that feel like a monotonous “9-to-5 grind.” This dissatisfaction often stems from the necessity of earning a living, leading to a disconnect between personal aspirations and professional obligations. Many people endure jobs that do not bring them joy, highlighting a widespread need for change in how we approach our careers.
Checklist
Try to map out how your purpose can look in your life and ask yourself what opportunities can align with it's fulfillment.
It is important to spend time figuring out one's purpose.
There is a need for us to reflect on one's purpose in life as each of us brings a unique design that is specific to the betterment of the world.
Many people find themselves in jobs or roles where they feel unfulfilled.
The belief that when we're aligned with our purpose, "everything else begins to make sense."
Aligning with Purpose
Each of us has a unique purpose, shaped by our own personalities, desires and passions, and shaped by family, friends, universal and ancestral influences. While it is necessary to earn a living, we also only have one life. It is important that if we are dedicating much of our lives to our labour, it should fulfill us in some way.
“Ikigai” in Japanese philosophy translates to “reason for being” calling on us to balance our passion, mission, vocation and profession.
Many times, we hear our inner voice calling us to something different, but we are often fearful of making the steps to take us there. Often this is where a deep sense of dissatisfaction or the sense of just moving through a daily grind erodes the joy from us and the knowing that we are here to do and be something more. This is also where the well known, “mid-life crisis” comes up for people. It is that inner knowing that is often trying to realign us to our greater and true purpose.
Self-Reflection
Reflections Practice
As you reflect on your current work and life choices, do you feel fulfilled and as if you’re living to your true purpose? Are you even clear on what your purpose is?
This introspection is vital, as misalignment with one’s purpose can lead to a sense of dissatisfaction that often surfaces through a variety of emotions and/or , which is often masked by external factors such as workplace conditions.
- Reflect on your life’s unique purpose and determine whether or not you are experiencing dissatisfaction due to misalignment.
Choices and Outcomes
When we find and align with our purpose in life, especially as it relates to career and leadership, we begin to experience flow as a part of a wider interconnected system, and we begin to experience joy and work in ways we couldn’t otherwise. Aligning one’s career and life choices with your innate purpose brings about a life of greater fulfillment and effectiveness as a leader.
Throughout this journey I have met professionals like doctors and engineers who changed careers after realizing their initial choices didn’t align with their purpose
Call to Action
Individuals who have transitioned to more fulfilling careers after recognizing that their initial choices did not align with their purpose serves as a powerful call to action, to invest time in discovering your purpose and mapping out steps to achieve alignment. When individuals operate in harmony with their purpose, they often find that everything else in their lives begins to make sense, leading to greater happiness and effectiveness in their work.
1 Comment
Elton Brown
I really enjoyed the concise and informative format! I’m definitely continuing with this workshop, but I’m a bit behind—time to catch up! Yikes!