From Achievement to Fulfilment and That Little Bit in Between

The one thing that no-one tells you

Ten weeks ago I chose to take time out of work, leave a well paid job and reassess my life. I knew deep down “fit” was being eroded, not at the actions of the business, my manager, or people around me. To the contrary, I worked with some great people, have had supportive bosses, and have always felt an integral part of the leadership group. Of course as with any job, comes challenges and frustrations, but that happens everywhere.

Ten weeks on, I can honestly say, I know deep down I have absolutely made the right decision. However, how can I be so sure?

I took time to examine the real reasons why I left. It soon dawned upon me that over time, slowly, my personal drivers had begun to shift. It wasn’t that I didn’t fit the business, perhaps the business didn’t fit me; I had changed. A genuine case of “it’s me not you”.

I’ve taken time to reflect; I examined my career and education to date. For as long as I remember, achievement has certainly been a key driver for me (along with a couple of other factors). Looking back, from GCSE’s, to A-level, from a BSc to an MSc, I was continually looking to achieve more. As I entered the world of work, the same ensued. I started from the bottom of that pesky corporate ladder, and worked hard to achieve. Key milestones came and went, from promotions to pay rises, from managing multi-million pound projects to international accountability, from managing people, to heading up a function. Now, granted, I had not yet become the next in line as CeO, however, I was in a relatively comfortable place, in a good company, at a good level, with a job I was passionate about. Yet despite all this, something didn’t fit. I realised that my own personal drivers had shifted, from achievement to fulfilment.

WorkLife Alignment

In business we started talking about work/life balance, which perhaps relates to the equal division of time between work and home. As time went on, work/life integration grew in popularity, where we started to focus on knitting together the two, creating a more holistic approach, where the boundaries between work and home became more blurred, and you were encouraged to bring your whole self to work. Different corporate cultures are still at very different points within this spectrum, and this will continue to evolve.

I am of the mindset that there is another dimension, work/life alignment — where you are clear about your values, priories and goal, and you make any decision regarding whether it be related to home or work, with those in mind.

I, alike so many others I have met over that last two months are in a place, where the traditional construct of work is no longer appealing, to the point where I have started to question, why am I here, what good am I doing in the world, what true value am I generating? In a large organisation it can be hard to drive the outcomes exactly in the way you want, we all have a boss, and to some extent the decisions that are ultimately made, cannot be solely your own. Perhaps they shouldn’t be, but the work you invest your time in, arguably should.

Having time to reflect, I know what is important to me, at this point in time:

• Meaningful work — complex problems where I can genuinely create positive impact
• Good people — working with others to co-create; is a powerful approach that is still underused
• Value generation — generating value for myself and others, fairly

Being Uncomfortable is not so Bad

You often read blogs, of people living the dream, working from a beach with a cocktail in hand, or you hear about the life of leaders in director positions, loving the responsibility and power they have. In the spirit of honesty, what nobody tells you, is that at times, it is uncomfortable. You begin to exist without the network, support system and infrastructure that has been in place for years. You become solely accountable for your output, and the pressure of perfectionism will creep in. You’ll have conversations that you know nothing about and will meet people that will stretch your thinking. With all that in mind, I can say, not only does is appears to get easier, and for me signifies growth.

I chose to question the nuts and bolts of my everyday. I figured, I will be working longer than the generation before me, and life is short — I therefore need to ensure I do what makes me happy.

Am I asking for too much? I think not. Is it as easy as your Instagram feed, LinkedIn articles show you? No not always. Do you have to sit with the feeling of being uncomfortable at times, and push yourself out of your comfort zone? Absolutely. Do I think ultimately I will be in a place where I feel happier — where my personal values are aligned to the work I choose to do? Undoubtedly.

For now friends, know that it is uncomfortable, but I’m ok with that. I am certain I am on the right path as uncomfortable as it can be at times, it is also equally liberating. Whatever role you’re in, whichever business, or industry, remember;

life is short, choose to be happy, know it isn’t always comfortable — and trust you’ll figure it out.

Anyone wanting to talk career change, or rethink how to support their workforce through shifting paradigms of work, happy to talk as always.