Try these 4 things to work out your next fulfilling career step

Try these 4 things to work out your next fulfilling career step

by | Career Challenges, Career change, Personal Development

Try these 4 things to work out your next fulfilling career step

Many clients come to me saying that they’ve lost their passion for their work, or that they want to do something more meaningful, but are really feeling stuck about what career step to take next.

The questions “What do I do now?” and “Where do I go next?” can be start to be answered by practicing a little introspection. And evidence shows, that when we find meaning in our work, we can expect increases in happiness and engagement, improvement to our performance – and an overall positive impact on our wellbeing.

When I (after plenty of introspection and hours as a coaching client) defined my next fulfilling career step away from the world of corporate communications and into the role of a coach, it was like fireworks going off! I felt so excited that I’d found work that suited who I am and gave me purpose.

Even now, almost 5 years after I made my move, I still feel energised and fulfilled by my work – every day!

So, unless you’d like to get started with coaching support right away, here are 4 steps (based on my education, experience, and insightful inputs from my colleague Annabel Musson) you can start with to define your next fulfilling career step:

Step 1 – Find your inspiration

This first step is really important to help you really connect to your future work. Inspiration can come from many different areas of life, both from within and externally. In order for you to find your inspiration, have a think about the following questions:

  • What are your goals?
  • What do you want to stand for or live for?
  • What are your passions?

Use these techniques to help you find inspiration for your next career step:

  1. Reflect – Spend some time alone in a quiet place. Close your eyes and begin to quiet your mind. When you feel like your mind is not so busy, think deeply about your purpose in life, and what brings you meaning.
  2. Look at others whom you admire – Who do you look up to? Think about why you look up to them, and note this down. Do some research into successful people who are in the career field that sparks your interest, look into their journey and how they got to where they are today.
  3. Talk with friends and family – asking the people who know you best about what kind of career would suit you can open your mind up to things you may not have considered before. Also, if they are successful, and you look up to them, ask them for advice on how they got to where they are today. This can help you form your path to having the career you want.

Step 2 – Understand your preferences better 

You can understand your preferences better by learning more about yourself, for example, your strengths, interests and character traits. Below are some ways you could do so:

  1. Doing psychometric assessments, such as: aptitude tests, behavioural tests and assessment centres. I recommend 16 Personalities and VIA Character Strengths.
  2. Evaluate your strengths and identify which activities deplete you of energy.
  3. Examine your priorities –what is most important to you?
  4. Examine what you daydream about most – this can indicate us to what we really want.
  5. Work with a coach – a leadership, career and wellbeing coach, like myself, can help you identify what really matters to you and what kinds of roles would be best suited to you.

Step 3 – Talk to yourself like an interviewer

Think like interviewer – their purpose is to get to know you on a deeper level, and see how well you would be suited to a role. You can do this for yourself in order to help you work out your next step.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

This question allows you to genuinely consider what you want to be doing in 5 years. Perhaps you have worked in a multinational company for a while, and realised that in 5 years, you no longer want to feel like a small fish in a very big pond. Perhaps you want to be an entrepreneur and running your own company instead? Maybe you want to be making enough money to travel the world? Or have more kids? And a question I like to ask often is: in 5 year’s time, what would you regret not doing?

Once you have the answer to this question, you can start to work backwards, and work out the steps you need to take in order to get there.

  • What makes you want to leave your current employer?

This question gives you some insight into the challenges of your current employment and helps you to identify what you don’t want from a future work situation. If the reason you’re seeking other employment is to run away from current work stressors, consider the root cause of these stressors. Is it the environment? Personality clashes? If you’re running away from current turmoil at your job, you may not find greener grass without first considering your needs.

((If you do decide to stay put, there are plenty of evidence-based and effective techniques that we can work on together to help you cope better in challenging circumstances and ensure that you are taking care of your overall wellbeing.))

Step 4 – Start taking action

Before you can take your next career step, you need to plan for how you’re going to do so. Follow the below steps to help you get there and reach your ideal career:

  1. Brainstorm – Come up with a list of ideas about how you can advance your career or move up the ladder. Perhaps, doing a master’s degree is a good first step? Or, maybe taking up some additional training? Starting to take action – one small step at a time – to get you to where you want to be, will make your dream career move feel real – not just a dream anymore.
  2. Volunteer or do side work – Find an organisation that will allow you to volunteer for a few hours a week in your dream sector. By doing this, you’ll gain valuable experience and also be able to generate a list of your likes and dislikes for your next position.
  3. Start applying for jobs– Get your CV professionally reviewed and reconnect back to your accomplishments and transferable skills. Develop your elevator pitch or professional value proposition, so that in 2-3 concise sentences you can share your professional background, your strengths and what you are looking for. Start an authentic network strategy to meet people in the areas of work you are interested in, learn about employers you may like to work for – and ask trusted members of your network for introductions.

I hope that you find these four steps valuable in your journey towards your next fulfilling career move. If you’d like my support, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch! 

Reduce overwhelm by single-tasking

Reduce overwhelm by single-tasking

by | Career Challenges, Personal Development, Self-Care

Reduce overwhelm by single-tasking

Have you noticed that the more you try to do, the more overwhelmed you become, and the less focused and productive you are? Well, there’s a really good reason for that…  

Our brains simply can’t multitask 

And when we try to do so, it can result in cognitive overload leading to us being much less creative, effective, more stressed, more frustrated, etc, etc.  

So even though you have the right intentions by trying to achieve as much as possible for yourself and your employer, you are likely limiting your potential, and could even be harming yourself.  

You’re also depriving yourself of wonderful moments of flow where you are lost in an activity that you’re great at and enjoy. And the resulting benefits to your wellbeing of increased job satisfaction, improved performance, better stress management, a sense of accomplishment and increased positive emotions. 

I’ve noticed that this is a theme with almost all of my clients, who are overachievers, want to be responsive and supportive and have (mostly unrealistic) extremely high expectations of themselves 

If you’re anything like my clients who have tried the following small but very effective methods, you’ll notice almost immediate improvements to your efficiency, productivity and satisfaction with your own performance.  

Take back control of your day and stop multi-tasking by:  

  • taking mindful breaks at regular intervals where you don’t multitask amongst making coffee, checking social media, reading the paper, etc. Consider this as another single-tasking activity. It will also refresh your energy and help you be more productive and focused;
  • another one to improve energy and focus is to physically move to ‘officially’ close off a task – grab a coffee, stretch or walk around the building;
  • turning off your email and any social media alerts, and blocking time to check these only a few times a day – don’t be a slave to others’ priorities;
  • reducing your expectation of what you can complete per day to perhaps 3 major tasks;
  • reserving blocks of time in your calendar, wearing earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones when in an open office and sharing with your manager and colleagues that you are experimenting with improving your productivity and reducing overwhelm, and if you’re not responding to emails / messages immediately like you did in the past they understand that it’s for a very good reason (and you may even influence others to try this healthy strategy). 

And a huge support with really embedding single-tasking is meditating regularly. Over time, this can help to: 

  • grow grey brain matter in the areas that are linked to attention, cognition, self-awareness, introspection, regulation of emotions and behaviours;
  • increase beta activity in the brain, leading to more wakefulness;
  • improve learning skills and creativity;
  • improve sleep and reduce fatigue;
  • lower symptoms of psychological distress. 

With my uni deadlines looming in addition to business and family commitments, I’m actively practicing all of the above. I even created hours of flow in the last few days as I was writing my assignment. And at the end of the day I honestly felt so accomplished and proud of my efficiency.

So how about you, what benefits do you think you’ll experience from single-tasking?

And which of the above will you try today?

Useful resources

– Here you can read my blog about mindfulness

– And here’s my blog about flow

– And if you’d like my support in letting go of unhealthy and unproductive working habits, and embedding healthy new ways of working, I’d love to hear from you! You can contact me at hello@kellycampino.com or book your free consultation here.

 

 

Want to feel more satisfied at work? Use your character strengths!

Want to feel more satisfied at work? Use your character strengths!

by | Career Challenges, Coaching, Personal Development, Positive Psychology, Positive Resources

Want to feel more satisfied at work? Use your character strengths!

Want to know a relatively easy way of feeling better at work?

It’s simply by intelligently applying your character strengths – more effectively using what you naturally have within you!

Let me explain a little more….

A quick look at character strengths

Character strengths are “positive traits reflected in thoughts, feelings and behaviours” (Park et al., 2004) and are regarded as essential ingredients of a fulfilling and happy life (Peterson, 2006). The VIA Classification consists of 24 different character strengths, which we all have within us and can draw on to support us in all aspects of life.  

By implementing a character strengths approach, our main focus is on what’s right and what we do well, instead of spending time and energy ‘fixing’ our weaknesses, as studies have shown that this where we can experience the greatest positive impact.  

I use the VIA Classification of character strengths with my clients as they are flexible, effective and impactful when professionally applied, and have been proven through many studies to contribute to flourishing.  

What are the benefits of applying character strengths at work?

When we consistently and intelligently apply our strengths at work, there’s evidence to show that we can experience improvements in: 

  • job performance
  • productivity
  • work satisfaction and meaningful work
  • employee engagement
  • job dedication
  • interpersonal facilitation
  • performance ratings  

When I say intelligently, I mean that to really get the most benefit of applying your strengths, it’s important to know the best way in which to use them! For example to understand when to dial up a strength, such as bravery before a speech; or dial down a strength, for example creativity when you are required to closely follow processes. Or by seeking an evidence-based positive psychology intervention to develop your strengths in new and novel ways.   

So, which strengths are most impactful at work? 

Numerous studies have found that when the character strengths of…  

  • curiosity: “interest, novelty-seeking, exploration, openness to experience”
  • zest: “vitality, enthusiasm for life, vigour, energy, not doing things half-heartedly”
  • hope: “optimism, positive future-mindedness, expecting the best and working to achieve it”
  • gratitude: “thankful for the good, expressing thanks, feeling blessed” 

… are consistently applied at work, then we can experience higher levels of satisfaction. 

Some positive actions you can try 

Here are some ideas of how you could apply each in the work setting: 

Curiosity  

  • ask ‘why’ questions more often, especially when making assumptions
  • be curious about a work task that you don’t like – find a new way to view it positively
  • challenge yourself to learn a new thing a day for a week  

Zest   

  • when you feel your energy lagging, instead of reaching for a sugary snack, get out and go for a short walk
  • express your energy and individuality by wearing colourful clothes
  • prepare yourself for new tasks at work by considering the positive aspects   

Hope  

  • observe how hopeful colleagues overcome challenges
  • support someone who may be struggling by offering hopeful ideas and concrete actions they could take
  • set daily goals for what you’d like to achieve and identify 2-3 different ways you could reach these goals  

Gratitude  

  • explain why you are grateful to a colleague, either by what they have done or for a positive aspect of themselves and leave it on their desk in a note to surprise them
  • each evening, recall 3 good things that happened at work each day
  • start meetings by sharing successes 

(Reference: Niemiec & McGrath, 2019; Niemiec, 2018: McQuaid & Lawn, 2014) 

So, which of these 4 strengths will you be focusing on first?! 

Useful resources

– Here’s the link to the VIA website where you’ll find the survey as well as more information about each character strength

– And If you’d like my support with developing your strengths so you can be more satisfied at work, here are my products, and you can book a call with me here. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Why I do what I do: My journey to find work in which I can thrive

Why I do what I do: My journey to find work in which I can thrive

by | Career Challenges, Career change, Reflections

Why I do what I do: My journey to find work in which I can thrive

A few years ago, I was on the brink of a burnout.

… I was sick often and hadn’t been sleeping well for months.

… In the nights before work, it was not unusual for me to sleep for only 3-4 hours. I’d wake up and worry about everything.

… I was always depressed and anxious, often even the smallest worry would send me into a huge panic.

… I was unfocused and had lost all confidence in my abilities. This lack of confidence also impacted me outside work and I avoided social contact with friends.

(does any of this sound familiar?)

After failing to manage this on my own for months, I decided that I simply needed help and found a wonderful therapist. I had no idea how sick I was getting, but she assured me that we managed to catch my situation just before it descended into a full burnout, which would have taken months to recover from.

With therapy, I managed to pull myself out and develop strategies to prevent myself from getting to the brink of burnout again. And I never hesitate anymore to ask for help when I need it.

I also decided to share openly with my colleagues and friends what had happened. This was very hard! Mental health issues are still unfortunately seen as a weakness and I was already feeling so weak and a failure that I couldn’t manage the work I’d done for over 15 years!

Even though I’d never wish to go through this experience again, I’ve learned some very valuable lessons that have helped me both personally and professionally….

My 5 big lessons

  1. First, it does not need to get to the point of burnout in order to realise that something is wrong and needs to change. I know the warning signs and will take action when I need it. I will never hesitate to go back to therapy if needed, and I’m now always working with amazing coaches for different purposes and with their support can quite easily get unstuck and find new perspectives.
  2. The insights I’ve gained from coaching have helped me to see with absolute clarity that the work I was doing and the environment I was in were completely misaligned with my personality, strengths, values and interests. (In fact, my strengths were often criticised!). I was not living authentically! And now that I’ve reconnected with who I truly am, I make decisions so that I can live authentically every day.

  3. I learned through this process that living a life that is aligned with my values (one of which is authenticity) is not negotiable, it was critical for me to be open and honest about what I’d been going through. And I so absolutely didn’t want others to suffer like I did. If my story had just given one person awareness of the warning signs then it was absolutely worth me being vulnerable by sharing it. And I was so relieved and grateful to receive so much empathy and care (and hugs); but also very unnerved and very sad to hear about how many people had also suffered through something similar.
  4. Before I was able to find clarity with my therapist, it was very difficult to have a clearer perspective, more of a helicopter view, to see what was most important to me – my health and my family – not a job that made me fundamentally unhappy. I was so caught up in doing the ‘right’ thing, by being a good employee, pushing myself too hard, using the master degree that I had just completed and moving up the ladder in my long-standing career, that it completely clouded my view of what really matters.
  5. Another huge learning from my situation is that not all work situations and jobs are (always) suited for everyone (yes, even after 15 years in a career and recently completing a master degree in that field!)! Our passions, interests and life circumstances can change, and sometimes our work needs to change as a consequence. My husband shared an analogy with me at the time that a rabbit would thrive in a running race, but when in the water will never beat a fish! I was that rabbit in the water – I had no chance of thriving in my work environment.

So… I made the best (and only) decision possible. I left my well-paid career behind and retrained as a coach to help others who are also feeling unfulfilled and want more from their work.

So, this is my Why…

… My Why is to connect my clients back to who they truly are and support them to find jobs / careers and work environments that are aligned with their personality, strengths, values and interests… so that they can thrive at work.

I am a qualified & certified coach* and I use coaching and psychometric assessments to help my clients reconnect back with their authentic, true selves.

I now implement my natural strengths, personality, passion and interests every day in my work. I’m now the fish IN water! Exactly where I should be!

I’m committed to continuous learning to always be improving how I can support my clients. I’m working towards my MSc Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology (which I’m enjoying so much) to hone my coaching skills and help my clients integrate the latest evidence-based wellbeing practices to help them manage their feelings and stress.

Looking back on my experience, I can now see it with gratitude. I learned so so so much and have made many very positive changes as a result, including finding work that fundamentally helps others… which is totally aligned with my values, I absolutely love, and in which I can truly thrive.

How about you?

Have you experienced something similar?
Can you relate to the lessons I learned?
Is your work in alignment with your personal values?
What’s your Why?

*it is important to state that I’m not a therapist and I don’t work with serious mental health issues

Useful resources

– Here’s an overview of positive psychology and its connection with coaching

– you can download my tips on how to integrate positivity into you workday

– If you’d like to learn a little more about me, click here

– and if you’d like a complimentary call to discuss how I can support you to thrive at work, please click here

 

Meaningful work: how clarifying your life purpose can lead to work you love

Meaningful work: how clarifying your life purpose can lead to work you love

by | Career Challenges, Personal Development

Meaningful work: how clarifying your life purpose can lead to work you love

A client recently had a huge breakthrough in one of our sessions – she defined her life purpose. She said it was like fireworks going off!!!

Life purpose is essentially our why – it’s about who we are, our reason for being, the impact we have on our world – and why we do what we do. It may sound a little out there, but I can attest, that since I’ve worked out my purpose, making decisions has been much easier, as has finding the right work for me.

How to reveal your life purpose

Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to help work out what your life purpose is:

  • What’s been the main impact that you’ve had on people around you?
  • How have you contributed to your local community?
  • How have you helped others, and even changed their lives?
  • What’s your unique contribution to the world?
  • What do you want your legacy to be?
  • Who do you really admire, and why?

To give you a little guidance, some examples are:

  • I ignite positive change in our world
  • I support others
  • I am a teacher of spiritual wisdom

A short disclaimer: this is not an easy task to achieve. I mean, it’s a pretty significant thing to understand why you exist! And the process can take some time, but it’s oh so worth it.

Connecting life purpose with meaningful work

Now that my client understands what we life purpose it, this knowledge will be like a guiding light to help her find a career with much more meaning than in the work she does now.

Does your work have meaning for you?
Is it aligned with your life purpose?
Do you know your life purpose?

Useful resources

– read my blog on how I found work that was meaningful to me

– get in touch for my support!