The 3 camps of career purpose

When it comes to career-purpose, there are 3 camps:

• Empty Pursuit
• Instagram Perfect
• Career Sweetspot

Let’s break down what each of these are.

Camp #1: Empty Pursuit

If you’re in this camp, you’re probably thinking or feeling something along the lines of: “Career-purpose is a bunch of BS. You just need to put your head down and be content with what you have.”

The reality is: not everyone has the same career opportunities. But if you do have the opportunity, why not use the agency you do have to make a change?

So if you’re in this camp, know that there is something better. You were made for more. It is possible to enjoy your work, even if it just means a mindset shift where you’re already at.

Camp #2: Instagram Perfect

If you’re in camp #2, you’ve probably thought: “My life will be incomplete until I find the perfectly fulfilling work that never has struggles or challenges.”

The reality here is that many jobs can be toxic or really hard. But also: work will always have boring, difficult and challenging parts.

Just because work is hard and life isn’t fulfilled in our work, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use your gifts and abilities to better the lives of yourself, your family and your circles of influence.

And if you’re in this camp, free yourself from the endless grind of striving for perfection. Relax into the hopeful playful pursuit of knowing yourself better and doing better work where you are.

The challenge: moving from extremes to the moderate middle

The pendulum swings between camps 1 and 2 tend to come from our reactions to difficult feelings. In our frustration, we want to make bold declarations to justify the way we’re feeling, to somehow have a quick-fix.

As with most things in life, the best place is in the moderate middle. But our post-modern culture doesn’t really do moderate, does it? We tend to live in extremes. No good-guys, bad-guys. It’s just where we are.

But, I want to challenge us to move into a third category: intentionality. Intentional living brings us to the center.

Camp #3: Career Sweetspot

When you’re living in your Career Sweetspot, you recognize that work is and will always be work. But, the mindset shift comes when you take intentional steps toward understanding what you’re good at, what you enjoy, and how you can make my greatest contribution to the world.

Here’s the truth: it’s possible for you to figure out your unique abilities and translate them into your work. So, take a note: where do you currently sit on the spectrum of these 3 camps? What is 1 step you can take to move towards the moderate middle?

PS – We have a process that will help you figure out what you’re good at, what you’re uniquely wired to do, and how to translate that into a fulfilling career. Join our Coaching Membership today and step into your career sweetspot within the next year.