How to find fulfillment
Last week, I introduced you to the ‘Zone of Genius,' a framework created by Gay Hendricks to distinguish between work you're really good at and work you are unstoppable at.
Since sharing, I've been thinking more about what MY framework is – the proven model that I've used with 50+ clients over the past four years to help them create fulfilling careers.
And then I panic, thinking I can't put this out into the world because what if my perspective changes?? So I'm sharing this with you with a giant caveat that my framework will evolve as I keep coaching. Because hey, this community is all about learning and evolving, right?
So here you go, this is how you create a fulfilling path: find the intersection of what you care about, are uniquely good at and energizes you and align it with your priorities.
Here's a quick definition of each element:
Your passions: the topics you care deeply about, and could talk or learn about for hours
Your superpowers: the activities that come easily to you and you naturally do better than others
Your energizers: the activities that give you a natural boost of energy or sensation in your body
Your priorities: also referred to as operating principles, these are the elements you need in your life to feel grounded, fulfilled and balanced
Once you know what each of these means for you, you're ready to create the vision for your career. It becomes much easier to answer questions such as what industry, business model, org context (size, growth rate and culture) and function you want to be in. These are the bricks in the foundation of your house or the directions that will get you to your destination.
Here are examples of how I've used this framework on myself and with clients – for me finding a fulfilling career and for Clare (the guest star of today's newsletter!) finding her fulfilling passion pursuit:
For Clare, you can see how creating a lifestyle brand perfectly leverages her passions, energizers and superpowers while aligning with her operating principles. She is doing something that feels totally authentic (alignment) and allows her to be creative, while positioning herself to have more professional freedom in the future.
Coaching is the same for me. I put my passion, energizers and superpowers into practice every day, while feeling joy when laughing with my clients and challenging myself and my clients to continuously grow and be intentional.
Hopefully this takes away some of the mystique around answering the age-old question: “what do I want to do with my life?” You don't have to wait for divine inspiration or wonder why some people seem to have the magic answer but you don't.
You can start to figure this out for yourself today. I've created 36 questions to help you discover your passions, energizers, superpowers and operating principles. Grab a notebook and start exploring!
If you need help, I'm always here to chat.
