Pretty much everyone reaches a crossroads in their work life at some point.
It might be that we realise we’ve been coasting in our job for too long and we need a new challenge, but we don’t know where to find it.
Maybe we’ve been offered an exciting new job but we can’t decide whether it’s worth the upheaval.
Or, perhaps we’ve come to a point where we’ve felt stressed and burnt out one too many times, and yet we’ve no idea what to do about it.
At times like this, we might well wish we had a map to guide us.
Well, as a coach – and with a PR & Marketing professional background – I think having a MAP of a more metaphorical nature is exactly the tool to lean into when we’re unsure about the next steps in our career.
There are so many factors that make up a fulfilling job but, in my opinion, the word MAP covers the most important of these:
Motivation – what motivates you to work for yourself and others? What needs does your job have to meet for you in terms of hours, location and income? What needs does your role meet for others and how satisfied are you with this?
Abilities – what can you do now? What could you do with the right training or support? What would it take, and how feasible is it, to upskill?
Passion – what makes you want to get up in the morning? When did you last feel passionate, fulfilled or excited at work? What elements of your job do you enjoy? What would you like your job to involve?
There is no such thing as a perfect job – just as there is no such thing as a perfect person.
Our jobs do not have to fulfill all of our needs. They do not define us and they are not our only purpose in life. But, because they often take up a great deal of our time, they can have a big impact on how we feel about life in general. So, it’s worth investing time and thought into this area of life.
Many of us will be happy doing a job that ticks only a few points on our MAP. This is likely to be because we do other things outside of work that use our abilities in a satisfying way or give an outlet to our passions, for example. Others of us are only truly satisfied when our jobs more closely align with the whole of our MAP. Only you will know where you sit in that picture.
If you feel like you need help defining your MAP or with making decisions around your work life, then coaching might be just the right support for you. Drop me a line for a free and confidential 30mins session if you’d like to find out more.
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