Let me tell you about Fiona.
Fiona is a “success” story. Pretty much everyone in her life agrees that she’s made it. She’s got the accolades, the achievements, the biggest responsibilities. She’s looked at as a mentor.
Fiona is one of those people who hasn’t had to think too hard about her career trajectory. She’s been handed bigger roles. She’s been recruited to better companies. She’s received more money. She’s never had to dwell too much about what came “next” because someone, or something, always came along.
As she climbed the ladder, Fiona felt she had a resume and skillset that had been expertly fine-tuned and specifically tailored for, well, exactly where she was.
Now, Fiona feels stuck, and in a weird way, powerless. She’d spent all those years focused on getting to the next rung of the ladder that she never stopped to think about whether *this* was the ladder she truly wanted to climb. Until it was too late and she felt too high up to do anything different.
Believe it or not, the case of “Fiona” is one of *THE MOST* common themes I see among “high performers” searching for something new or something more fulfilling.
They feel like their career path (and life!) got laid out like a yellow brick road for them, and they assumed it would take them to Oz. They rarely gave themselves the chance to pause and think about what they truly wanted. Or, they did, but the idea of veering off of the path just felt too scary, unknown, or unsafe. So they didn’t. They look back on their career and feel that they never made intentional decisions because they never really had to. And now, their success feels empty.
Sound like you or someone you know? If so, I want you (or them) to know seven things!
- You are not the first and you will not be the last to wake up and ask yourself how you got here, and if you’re even happy with your “success”.
- Reflection and introspection can be uncomfortable and take work. Sometimes you find things you don’t want to see. But looking away doesn’t make what’s there disappear.
- Humans evolve. Your needs change. What’s important shifts. If you don’t change too, your head, heart and gut become misaligned and an empty feeling sets in.
- Trying something new takes bravery. It takes patience. It’s not for the faint of heart.
- It’s never as scary as you make it out to be in your head.
- If you’re willing to walk through some discomfort, you may actually find it can be thrilling, too.
- It’s not too late to make a change. Why settle for just ok? Your life wasn’t meant to be just fine.
Happiness and fulfillment are on the other side, waiting for you.
I know it.
I’ve lived it.
I help others walk through it every day.
It’s time to redefine what success really means for you. You’ve been successful by everyone else’s measure. Certainly you can achieve your own version of success.
You’re more than worth it.