Welcome to your 10 steps to Career Happiness! Career happiness is about living our lives as fully and as purposefully as we can, especially in the work we choose to do. We spend over 92,000 hours over a lifetime working which is about 30% of our life so we really need to make sure we are doing something we love. Many people think that achieving happiness in your career isn't possible or it is too difficult. Well, having worked with career changers for the last 10 years, and having changed career myself to find work I absolutely adore I know it IS possible. I am on a mission to enable as many people as possible to live purposefully through having a career that brings meaning, and which they love and makes them happy. Having career happiness doesn't always have to involve big scary change it can also be about doing things differently in your existing career or reframing how you view it. I have created this workbook to help you work out what you need to feel happy at work. It's full of questions, tips and actions to empower you to take control of your career and grab some career happiness. Be prepared to engage in some self-reflection and some soul searching, and don't forget if you need help or want to go deeper just get in touch. Love what you do!
Love whi!t!jou do
Define your happiness criteria You can't achieve happiness at work if you don't know what it is that will make you happy. Allow yourself to dream about an amazing career where you really enjoy going into work, you feel energised and you love what you do. How good does that feel? It can be possible. Set your intention or goal to achieve it. It's the first step to making it a reality. What are the key elements in your 'dream career'? There are no right or wrong answers here so think about what would make it a 'dream' for you. Don't worry if it doesn't have a 'job title' yet just capturing the things connected to it will help shape your direction. Capture your thoughts. What does happiness at work mean to you? Choose five sentences that sum it up for you (example: being more creative, working with others as passionate as me, deciding how I use my time, feeling like an expert.) What are the things that make me unhappy at work? Choose 3 things that are causing stress or leaving you feeling unsatisfied (example: being told what to do, too much admin, boring repetitive work) Spend time reflecting and refining your answers. Really explore and understand what you need to have in place to make you happy at work. Review what elements you have in your career at the moment and which are missing.
Check your readiness for change To make your happiness goal a reality you may have to change things in your working life, whether that is a career change, job change or changing certain things about what you currently do. It can also be changing how you do things or changing your perspective on your job. Fear can block you and stop you moving forward. Whatever kind of change you embark on you need to prepare yourself for the possibility that it could be potentially scary as you'll be pushed out of your comfort zone. Ask yourself on a scale of 1-5 (5 being I am absolutely ready to do this) rate how ready you feel you are to make the changes in your working life. Secondly, whatever your score, now ask yourself what would it take to move yourself up to the next number. Capture your answer (example: get some support, feel more confident, stop procrastinating, etc.). Make your answer to the second question your priority. Do whatever it takes to increase your readiness for change so you feel more empowered for your journey to career happiness.
Let go of unhelpful beliefs/patterns We all have self-doubts or anxieties that prevent us from fulfilling our potential. These beliefs are often irrational and surprising to people who know us well but we cling to them and look for evidence to support them. We simply allow these beliefs to limit us, and they stand in the way of you achieving career happiness. You need to be prepared to call them out, name them and work on reducing their power. What are the self-limiting beliefs you hold about yourself that are preventing you from fulfilling your potential- write them all down. Identify the one that has the most power over you and affects you most at work. Choose how you can test out whether this belief is true: Gather examples of when you have achieved the opposite of your belief Find someone at work you trust and ask them what they think of your ability in this area. Volunteer for a task that you would normally shy away from because of your belief about your ability in this area.
Boost your career confidence Career confidence can be a fragile thing. It can take years to build and can be destroyed by an unthinking boss, toxic colleagues or a bruising work experience which leaves you feeling unvalued and incompetent. If you're in the wrong job you can also lack confidence because it probably doesn't play to your strengths. You need to reclaim and boost your confidence in order to know career happiness. How career confident are you? TAKE THE CAREERTREE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Spend this week looking for opportunities to boost your career confidence. Play to your strengths and focus on activities you know you enjoy and that you're good at. Listen carefully for positive feedback and record it, don't dismiss it.
Regain your balance You can't achieve career happiness if you feel your work and life are out of balance. If you're feeling that you don't have quality time for friends and family because you're having to work long hours or work in the evening when you're at home then something has to change. Similarly if you're so stressed and tired at work because you've got so much to do then there is no way you can enjoy your work. How much of the imbalance is within your control to change? Do you choose to work when you're at home so you can 'stay on top of everything'? Has it become a habit rather than a requirement? Carry out a work life balance audit- get some tips on how to do this here Then make a list of all the things you could stop doing or say 'no' to. Look at any patterns (are you always the one to volunteer to do things? Do others rely on you to always go the extra mile?) Set some goals reflecting how you want to be different (for example, make time to go to the gym once a week, meet friends after work, only work late/come in early once a week, etc.). Commit to putting at least one change in place each week.
Create new opportunities No one else is going to make things happen for you in your career, and there are no prizes for those who sit quietly in the corner waiting for their potential to be spotted. Embrace the idea of taking control and making things happen for yourself. Be courageous, explore new avenues and enjoy the excitement of possibility. Complete the following statements: If I stopped waiting for someone to ask me to participate or step up at work then I would... If I believedfullythat I was capable of anything I chosetodothen I'd start doing things like.... If I could create an opportunity for myself I would... Choose one of the above and turn it into a goal for this year, and start planning how you are going to make it happen.
Find supporters and champions On the journey to discover career happiness it's nice to have other people to cheer you on and give you support. Don't think you have to make the journey alone look for people in your life who you feel you can trust and who can inspire or motivate you when things get tough and reach out to them. They don't have to be close companions or long standing relationships, be open to new connections that could help you. Who would you choose as your top 5 supporters or champions (aim for 5 but if you are struggling then 3 will suffice)? Who could you help in return on their journey to discover career happiness? Enlist 5 champions- meet them for coffee, tell them why you have chosen them, what you value about having them in your life and ask for their support.
Nurture and care for YOU It is easy to find your energy levels are depleted when you 're engaging in change, stepping out of your comfort zone and being courageous. Watch out for warning signs that you're beginning to run on empty and make a conscious effort to nurture yourself and take care of you. Women, in particular, tend to put their needs last but remember you're not helping anyone or yourself if you end up burnt out and energy depleted. What do you do that gives you energy? (example: exercising, talking to friends, spending time with family, dancing, reading, fresh air, fresh flowers, etc.) What are the signs that you are running low on energy and need to recharge? (example: feeling muddled, missing appointments, skin flare ups, falling asleep at 8pm) Schedule some nurture time into your week and do activities that give you energy. Notice how you feel afterwards. Treat yourself to something small each week- a bunch of fresh flowers, a walk at lunchtime on a beautiful day, reading your book on your commute instead of working, etc.
Say Yes to your version of success Society defines success mostly in extrinsic terms- how big is your salary? Your car? What is your job title? With the emphasis being on the bigger the better. Yet intellectually we know that extrinsic rewards do not bring long term career happiness. It isn't easy though to step outside society's expectations of what success should look like. What do you need to have in place for you to feel successful at work? (example: being around for my children after school1 day per week, being able to learn new things regularly, having opportunity to develop new skills, feeling what I do has a purpose, making a difference to someone, etc.) Brainstorm and refine your definition of success. Try to let go of the expected responses and really think what your personal success needs are. Consider what this means in relation to your current career. However, it is important to step back and consider how you would define success- what would it take for you to feel your work life is successful. It is a deeply personal formula but a key one to any lasting career happiness. It is really important not to be driven by anyone else's agenda but to be working to your own.
Be grateful and develop positivity Our brains are hardwired to look for negatives but research shows that by focussing more on the positives our sense of wellbeing can increase tremendously. A key factor in career happiness is our positivity at work, our mind set and our energy. If we can develop a regular grateful practice then this can become a natural outlook. Like any habit though it will take time and commitment to cultivate. How would you describe your level of optimism at work? Do you tend to focus on the things that don't work so well rather than on the possibilities? Develop your grateful practice- start a journal and notice 3 things each day you are grateful for, either at work or at home, and capture them in your journal. Look back at them when you are having a tough day.