I have always envied those people who just KNEW what they wanted to do with their lives. Those people who at young age could say with absolute conviction "I'm going to be a doctor" or teacher, or pilot, and then single-mindedly focus on reaching that goal.
At different times as a kid I wanted to be a dancer, a brain surgeon or an actor, yet somehow I ended up as an accountant! I wanted to travel and speak in foreign languages, and I rationalised that pursuing this career would allow me to do that and it did for a short while. It certainly could have provided those opportunities for my whole career but something was missing for me.
I wanted to be passionate and driven like other people I knew but I seemed to flounder around for a long time, with no clear idea of what my "thing" would be.
I kept expecting either an epiphany to strike me, telling me where to take my career, or alternatively an amazing opportunity to land in my lap, shouting "THIS IS IT!"
Strangely enough neither of those things happened!!
Through a combination of coaching, self-help books, personal development courses and meditation I realised that there is no "one" purpose I can find out there in the world in the sense of a role or job! Instead the keys to uncovering my purpose are:
- exploring who I am on the inside;
- taking time to reflect on my strengths, passions, skills, and my wisdom (based on my lived experiences);
- being brave enough to put myself out there and try new things;
- accepting who I am and being prepared to be a beginner again, bringing both curiosity and compassion to that experience;
- thinking about who I want to BE in the world and focusing on what I can do right now to get closer to BEING that person.
These are all steps in becoming an authentic leader in your organisation, or community and IN LIFE.
I discovered that I love learning and growing but also importantly that I love teaching and sharing, and empowering others to step up to achieve what they dream of. And that's why I do the work I do now. This is about an intention and a way of being, rather than purely a role.
It’s funny because my father-in-law tells me how interesting it must be to be an accountant, and to really understand how business works, and of course he’s absolutely right, and I have clients who are finance professionals who knew very young that they wanted to be accountants. Whether that was the case or they fell into it as I did, those who find most fulfilment are those who develop their self-awareness around what they bring to the role and build an understanding of who they serve through their work, how they serve and WHY they serve.
Finding meaning and purpose in your work, and figuring out how you can best serve others, while remaining true to your authentic self has been shown to make you happier and healthier, and who wouldn't want that?!
What's your purpose? I'd love to hear from you.
I love working with people to figure out their own individual purpose, as well as working with leadership teams to articulate that of their team or organisation, so if you would like support with that please contact me at [email protected]
Sue runs sue rosen executive coaching and specialises in working with people to help them find freedom and fulfillment in their careers. She also runs corporate wellbeing & leadership programs based on using mindfulness and positive psychology to enable people to bring their very best selves to work. To learn more or set up a call please click here.
At different times as a kid I wanted to be a dancer, a brain surgeon or an actor, yet somehow I ended up as an accountant! I wanted to travel and speak in foreign languages, and I rationalised that pursuing this career would allow me to do that and it did for a short while. It certainly could have provided those opportunities for my whole career but something was missing for me.
I wanted to be passionate and driven like other people I knew but I seemed to flounder around for a long time, with no clear idea of what my "thing" would be.
I kept expecting either an epiphany to strike me, telling me where to take my career, or alternatively an amazing opportunity to land in my lap, shouting "THIS IS IT!"
Strangely enough neither of those things happened!!
Through a combination of coaching, self-help books, personal development courses and meditation I realised that there is no "one" purpose I can find out there in the world in the sense of a role or job! Instead the keys to uncovering my purpose are:
- exploring who I am on the inside;
- taking time to reflect on my strengths, passions, skills, and my wisdom (based on my lived experiences);
- being brave enough to put myself out there and try new things;
- accepting who I am and being prepared to be a beginner again, bringing both curiosity and compassion to that experience;
- thinking about who I want to BE in the world and focusing on what I can do right now to get closer to BEING that person.
These are all steps in becoming an authentic leader in your organisation, or community and IN LIFE.
I discovered that I love learning and growing but also importantly that I love teaching and sharing, and empowering others to step up to achieve what they dream of. And that's why I do the work I do now. This is about an intention and a way of being, rather than purely a role.
It’s funny because my father-in-law tells me how interesting it must be to be an accountant, and to really understand how business works, and of course he’s absolutely right, and I have clients who are finance professionals who knew very young that they wanted to be accountants. Whether that was the case or they fell into it as I did, those who find most fulfilment are those who develop their self-awareness around what they bring to the role and build an understanding of who they serve through their work, how they serve and WHY they serve.
Finding meaning and purpose in your work, and figuring out how you can best serve others, while remaining true to your authentic self has been shown to make you happier and healthier, and who wouldn't want that?!
What's your purpose? I'd love to hear from you.
I love working with people to figure out their own individual purpose, as well as working with leadership teams to articulate that of their team or organisation, so if you would like support with that please contact me at [email protected]
Sue runs sue rosen executive coaching and specialises in working with people to help them find freedom and fulfillment in their careers. She also runs corporate wellbeing & leadership programs based on using mindfulness and positive psychology to enable people to bring their very best selves to work. To learn more or set up a call please click here.
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