By Norun Laahne Thomassen , Partner at Supertrends Institute
If you aim for success, you are probably going to miss it. Follow your inner compass instead!
Striving for success alone might bring you wealth, status, and power, but do not forget about fulfillment. In the long run, success without fulfillment will leave you feeling empty.
Therefore, the best thing to do is to forget about success, be true to yourself, and go for fulfillment. The unintended side effect may very well be success.
Align with your inner compass
Fulfillment is personal, and it is a journey, not a static state. Therefore, it is important to choose a career that feels meaningful and engaging and allows you to continuously grow and develop.
The best way to discover what fulfillment means to you is to explore your highest values and your inspirational sense of purpose. Together, your values and purpose serve as an “inner compass” that helps you to stay on your individual path to fulfillment (and success) no matter what obstacles and temptations come in your way.
Intuitively, you probably already have a sense of your inner compass, but bringing it fully into your conscious awareness makes it much more powerful. Articulating and writing down your purpose and values is a good way to achieve that.
Find your inspirational sense of purpose
Your purpose gives you a sense of being part of something that is bigger than yourself so start by asking yourself what positive changes you would like to see for the world. Next, think about how you, through your work and career, can best contribute to the realization of your vision for the world? Remember that it should be something you are good at, something you love doing, and something that allows you to earn a living. When you find the answer, you will know your purpose.
Discover your highest values
Your values reflect what is most important to you. If you need some help and inspiration to find your topmost values, try this free Personal Values Assessment developed by the Barrett Values Centre. Think about what these values look like in action. How concretely do they show up in your behavior on a daily basis? And how can you let them guide your future choices and decisions?
Be good, do good
Following your inner compass will help you to flourish and live a full life. Many studies, especially in the field of positive psychology, show that people who cultivate positive feelings and a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives are not just more successful, healthier, and live longer; they are also more engaged in the world and tend to do good for others.
I encourage you to go out and be one of them!
This article is written by Coach, Mentor and Expert on Conscious Self-Leadership, Norun Laahne Thomassen.