What career fulfilment really looks like (it's not what you think)

One of the biggest hurdles after career disillusionment is the sense of being completely lost.

You start searching for alternative jobs, hoping to stumble across that one opportunity that’s meant for you.

The right fit. The needle in the haystack that might just resurrect you from the pit of burnout.

Because you’ve realised how important purpose is to you – and this time, you want to choose wisely.

You’ve learnt that appearances can be deceiving. A job that ticks all the boxes and pays the bills doesn’t always lead to fulfilment.

So now the pressure’s on.

You want to find a role that does bring fulfilment, before your current job drains what little energy you’ve got left.

At this point, I often hear people say things like:

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this... but I can’t find anything better.”

Which usually means this:

You haven’t found something worth the risk of leaving the dull but stable job that makes you look successful in the eyes of society.

You want the inner fulfilment – but you’re not ready to let go of the external validation.

And that’s okay. If you’re aware of that, and you consciously choose to stay for now.

But purpose doesn’t disappear. It keeps calling you – in your thoughts, in your dreams. It gets all up in your feelings making you say things like:

“I don’t feel like I’m really helping people.”

“I don’t feel like I’m contributing to anything that matters.”

The thing is, these calls don’t come with job listings attached. There’s no one perfect role to apply for that will guarantee lifelong purpose and fulfilment.

It doesn’t work like that.

But in this post, I’m going to explain how it does work –  and how you can start moving towards it.

The story we’re all taught (and why it’s not enough)

It’s a natural human instinct to question why we’re here. Everyone seeks an answer at some point in their life.

What I’ve realised is that most people only ask the question once in their life. An unfortunately that moment comes when they are too young to know any better.

As children we’re so eager to make sense of the world and thirsty for answers about everything. When it comes to fulfilment we absorb the societal stories we’re fed that goes something like this:

• Do well in school
• Go to university
• Get a degree
• Get a good job
• Make money

And then?... Live happily ever after.

So whether you’re aware or not you follow this instruction manual for life through to the end.

But once you reach the end the happiness you were expecting doesn’t last forever.

Once again questions arise ‘what to do with my life?’. And when you look for answers in the same environment that got you here – you conclude that you don’t have enough yet.

• Enough money
• A big enough house
• Enough qualifications
• A good enough career
• A good enough relationship

And eventually, chasing that enough destination just becomes your life.

That’s how it was for me, right up until I burnt out and decided I wanted to hear a different story.

It’s around that time I picked up “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma. It’s a story about a high-flying lawyer who walks away from success as the world defines it, and starts seeking a life of deeper meaning.

What stayed with me most was the idea that purpose isn’t found in any one destination, achievement, or job title – it’s something we’re guided towards from within.

It’s like an inner compass that radiates happiness when you’re on the right path. It doesn’t promise a straight line, it just pulls you toward what’s true for you.

Following your inner compass: how fulfilment really works

When you're looking for a new career or alternative job, it's easy to get overwhelmed if you’re hunting for the final answer. But the truth is that there is no final answer.

Real fulfilment is about freedom, not finality.

This means:

• You’re no longer searching for just one perfect job.
• There are multiple different paths that could fulfil you.
• You’re free to explore, to try, to adjust.

Think of it like dipping your toes into different pools, noticing what feels right, and giving yourself permission to move towards what lights you up. You don’t have to dive headfirst into anything. You get to explore.

Your inner compass is guided by your values. And here’s the important part: your values evolve and change power over time.

Imagine your values like different forces pulling on the compass, sometimes one is stronger, sometimes another takes the lead.

Ex: Say you're a doctor and you value helping people, freedom, and control. When you first started out, helping people was the strongest value guiding you. It powered you through training, your early career, and your first achievements.

But over time, you notice a shift. The system you work in feels restrictive. The stress builds. You feel less free, less in control. Now, freedom and control have risen in importance. They have more weight on your internal compass.

If you ignore that shift - if you keep trying to fulfil only your “helping people” value without honouring your need for freedom and control - you’ll stay stuck and frustrated.

And here’s the thing - when values change, it will likely be a lot harder to fulfil them practically. You’ve built your life upto that point on your previous dominant value.

The most common examples would be going from employment to self-employment. Or going from always working for a specific hourly rate to asking for a much higher rate.

It’s HARD! But… And this is an important but.

Overall it will still generate an incredible feeling of fulfilment if its aligned to your values.

Conclusion: The never-ending journey

Your inner compass won’t shout. It won’t always offer you a clear map or a guaranteed outcome.

But it will always nudge you toward what feels more alive, more free, more you.

You don’t have to figure it all out today. You only have to take one step in the direction that feels lighter.

If you're feeling lost - trust that all these different steps you’re taking are part of the process of realigning yourself with who you really are.

Each one, no matter how small it seems or how important it appears to others, is a massive success.

The task for you this week is to reflect on what your current dominant value is and do something small to move towards it.

To help you with this, I’ve created a free tool called the Career Clarity Compass.

It’s a simple, practical guide to help you reconnect with your most important values, so you can start making career decisions that feel true to who you are now - not who you used to be.

You can download it here and start using it straight away.

Remember it may be one small step for you but it’s one giant leap towards your fulfilment.

Stay Healthy,

Lewis

P.S  If this resonated I'd love to hear your thoughts. Connect and message me on Linked-In.

If you'd like more help tuning into your inner compass then: 

1) Book yourself a free introductory coaching call in The Empowerment Clinic.

It's my virtual coaching room where I run the Confident Career Change Coaching program to help you 'flow' into a career that truly fulfils you.

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