Finding the balance between stability, excitement and fulfilment
To feel long-term happiness in your career, you need 3 elements: stability, fulfilment and excitement. While we are all different, and therefore have different needs, when one of these elements is missing, you will feel like something is off.
Your career is a big part of your life. Not only is it your source of income and the place you spend a large part of your day, it also offers you the opportunity to develop your talents, focus on your interests and grow as a person.
When you find the right balance between these elements, your career will feel just right for you. You will be able to thrive professionally, while feeling balanced in your private life as well. Here is a breakdown of the elements:
1. Career stability means feel physically, emotionally and financially secure. It means knowing what to expect, and what is expected of us in return in terms of responsibility, money, and the rights we get from our work.
Let´s face it, the main reason why most of us work is to earn money to pay for the rest of our lives. Work is your livelihood, the source of income that allows you to live your life. When your income is not high enough to live comfortably it is often a great source of stress. When you can take care of your needs and the needs of our family, it gives you the space to enjoy life.
Some people choose to sacrifice a higher salary for more fulfilling work, supportive coworkers or a better work/life balance. This is a personal choice, and one that can be very beneficial to your overall happiness. But when your needs are not met, or when you have to sacrifice other things in life that give you joy, you will probably feel dissatisfied in the long run.
Stability is not just about money. It is also about feeling emotionally and psychologically safe at work, free to express ourselves and express our boundaries. It has a lot to do with the culture of a company, and whether we feel safe to ask for help, make mistakes and be vulnerable. You can only thrive at work when you feel safe to be yourself, and when you trust that the people you work with care about our wellbeing.
Stability and safety are very much a feeling. Two people could have the same circumstances, and they could feel different for each of them. What is important is finding work that feels safe and stable to you. Whether you are self-employed, living from project to project, or working a 9 to 5 with more routine, it is important to recognize your own needs and make sure they are met.
While stability may not sound very exciting, the importance of it should not be overlooked. Knowing that the important things are taken care of leaves us space to feel calm, enjoy our hobbies, friends and family. It´s like the saying, you need roots to grow wings. When you feel truly safe and secure, you are not just surviving but thriving.
However, for some people stability is the only important factor on which to base career decisions. When you always choose the safe option, your career can feel quite stagnant over time. To feel a deeper sense of contentment and growth, we also need fulfilment and excitement.
2. Career fulfilment means finding meaning in your work beyond receiving a salary.
It could be about helping others, working for a cause that matters to you, or being a part of positive change. What is meaningful to you might not be meaningful to everyone, but what matters is that you find a sense of greater purpose to the time you spend working.
Fulfilment is connected to your values, and what you find truly important in life. It is the deeper feeling of knowing that what you do feels right, regardless of whether it looks good on paper. When fulfilment is lacking from your work or life as whole, it can feel like a nagging feeling that something is a bit off. Everything might be going well for you, and yet you don´t feel satisfied.
Fulfilment does not have to come from a job, it can come in the form of volunteering, activism, spending your free time doing art projects, or simply supporting your friends and family the best way you can. There are no rules to what a fulfilling life looks like, you are the only one who gets to decide what it looks like to you. However, since work takes up so much of your time, it is helpful to find a fulfilling element in your work. This can be a side project that you enjoy, switching to a company that aligns with your values or choosing a role that can influence the direction of the company.
Lots of people believe that doing fulfilling, meaningful work means accepting financial or job uncertainty. Our society does not always value the ones that bring the most value in the way that they deserve. But there are ways to find a middle ground.
If you are neglecting your own needs for a fulfilling job, it will make you feel frustrated over time. Not everyone has money as their number one priority, but when you are not able to live your life in the way that you enjoy it, that is not true fulfilment.
It is important tot be honest about your own needs, both financial and otherwise. When your needs are met, it becomes so much easier and more joyful to dedicate your career to something you care about.
3. Career excitement comes from that rush of trying something new, of going out of your comfort zone and adding an adventurous element to your career.
Excitement is that feeling of enthusiasm mixed with a little bit of nervousness that you often get when you are stretching yourself. It is joy mixed with fear, because you are stepping out of your comfort zone into the unknown, with a little bit of risk and potentially great reward. When your career no longer feels exciting, it feels stagnant, like you are missing that spark.
Excitement makes you feel alive, and it helps you grow into the direction you want to go. It makes your life feel extraordinary, even if only for a moment. We all have different needs and tolerances for excitement, but we all could use some of it. See where you could take some healthy risk, learn new skills or challenge yourself a bit.
Depending on where you are at, taking a risk can look like giving a presentation to a group, applying for a promotion in your line of work, or doing an exciting new project on the side. Doing things that feel new and exciting without overwhelming your nervous system allows you to gently feel more comfortable with doing the uncomfortable, while honouring your need for security.
To your nervous system, excitement and fear feel very similar. It gives you the same activated energy, raised heartbeat and sweaty palms. It is therefore important that your exciting steps are taken from a place of feeling deep safety and security. When you feel secure enough to take a risk, your reward is meaningful growth.
If you would like to find the right balance for you and could use some guidance, plan a free introduction call with me here.