True Career Fulfillment – Finding Work You Love

A recent survey found that eighty percent of people are not satisfied with their work. Most people wanted a more meaningful life – do you?

Are you confused about what you want? Perhaps you are facing a layoff, or are in transition? Maybe you are considering starting your own business or you’d like to bring more success and fulfillment to your current work?

The following will guide you through the Life Purpose ProcessTM , a process to clarify your career direction and obtain the results you truly desire. During the past decade, more than 35,000 people throughout the world have used this life and career clarification process. So sit down, buckle up, and prepare to begin your own journey of self-exploration.

The first step, regardless of your present situation is to clarify what you want. This seems like a very simple thing. However, in reality it is very complex for most people to truly open up their minds and hearts to what they really want without fears or concerns swooping in to suppress those thoughts.

Often we feel caught in our survival needs and the stress of a situation, especially if it involves our livelihood. In panic we revert to ‘fixing’ the problem as fast as possible. That usually means looking in the newspaper or online or working with recruiters and applying for job openings by fitting ourselves to the position offered. After months of personal disappointment and rejection we are gratefully back to work. Ah, and here we are again back in a familiar but non-satisfying position. It hurts so badly, yet feels so safe, even in the midst of the familiar headaches, upset stomach, anxiety and even depression. Are there alternatives? Yes! Self-evaluation – determining what you really want and going after it is one positive alternative.

Through self-exploration you will identify talents, gifts and natural abilities in very specific ways, and determine careers that best utilize these unique elements. All accomplishments, knowledge, interests, passions and experiences are considered in the process.

Creating your ideal career is like putting together a puzzle. First you need the pieces. At a certain point the pieces come together – integrate – and you are looking at the whole picture. This is when you arrive at your life’s work. From this point of strength you design your career and continue the process.

All seven of the steps outlined are important in a successful career search. Finding work you love through this process takes effort and courage, yet it is a wise investment in yourself and your future happiness. For most people, professional support will make the process faster and easier and keep you focused and on track. There are thousands of career options you may have never considered. People who are focused in their search for meaningful work stand the best chance of success in these times. Isn’t it time to see what’s possible for you?

The Seven Steps to True Career Fulfillment
Here are the seven steps outlined by the Life Purpose ProcessTM to help you clarify your ideal career:

1.Self-Exploration
The first and most important step is to undertake a thorough self-exploration. You’ll want to determine who you are as a unique individual and what you really want in your ideal career. The key is in knowing the right questions to ask.

You can begin the process by asking yourself what elements you want in your ideal career. E.g., flexible schedule, creativity, working with people, type of environment, skills utilized, other interests. Be as specific as possible. If you’d like to be creative, how would you like to be creative? There are many ways to do so. Would you like to help people? There are more than 100 ways to make a difference and contribute to others.

2.Tailor-Make a Career
Taking into account what you want and key aspects of your personality, design a career for yourself. Look at all the options – standard career options and creative alternatives. Do you prefer finding a new job, staying in the present job and making it more ideal, or starting a business? There are 12,741 occupations listed in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Are you aware of all of your career options? If not, you may want to obtain more information or seek professional guidance.

3.Overcome the Blocks to Your Success.
Often we have blocks and obstacles to achieving our goals. Usually, a block or obstacle is a signal telling you that you need to attend to something. These blocks can be internal feelings, such as a fear of failure, fear of success, self-criticism or self-doubt. Or they can be external factors, such as lacking the necessary business skills, a plan of action, or information about possible career choices. What is your block or obstacle telling you? Identifying and overcoming these blocks is a necessary part of making the transition to work you love.

4.Research
At this stage you will identify three to five career options that you wish to explore further. Gathering information by reading books, and meeting with people in your fields of interest will help you be certain about the best career choice and help you to develop an effective plan of action.

5.Plan of Action
After researching your career options, you decide on short and long-term goals and develop a step-by-step strategy to obtain these goals. Many people start with a dream and want to leap immediately from A to Z. In having an effective plan of action, you learn how to move from A to B to C, building gradually toward your goals. No matter what your circumstances, there is always a way to get started toward what you want.

6.Learn to Play the Job/Business Game
In order to find work or develop a business, you must learn how to play the job and business game. Since only 10% of all jobs are listed in the wanted ads, learning this game will greatly increase your chances of getting the job you want.
The game includes developing contacts, having an effective resume, learning to present yourself as the best candidate, mastering the art of successful interviewing, and discovering ‘back-door’ approaches to getting the job you want.
For those seeking to start their own business, the game includes developing a strong business idea, doing effective marketing and market research, and developing a sound business plan.

7.Continue the Process
Clarification and achieving results is a continuing process. Keep referring to and using this process. You may, for example, need to continue self-exploration – redefining what truly matters to you. Which of the above areas do you need to build your skills?