Know Thyself: Practical Exercises for Career Success

Ever feel like the world's trying to tell you who you should be?

If you don't take the time to figure out who you actually are inside, it's easy to get swept along and wake up one day thinking, "Hang on, how did I even get here?"

It's a bit of a wake-up call, isn't it? 😬

And think about your career – it's one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make! So why leave something that important to chance?

The meaningful work that I keep talking about isn't about ticking boxes on a job description or chasing the biggest salary (although that helps! 😉).

It's way deeper than that. It's about you. Like, really understanding what you value, what your strengths are, and what genuinely fires you up 🔥

That's the foundation for making career choices that actually fit you, not just some random role...

So how can you make sure you're on your own path, not on someone else's?

Why Self-Discovery Matters for Your Career

So many people pick careers based on what looks good on paper, right? The big salary, the fancy title, what our family expects... 💸

But without that personal connection, even the most 'impressive' career can feel... empty.

Like something's missing. You're climbing the ladder, but it's leaning against the wrong wall. 🪜

And that's why self-reflection isn't some fluffy extra you can skip. It's absolutely essential. It's the bedrock of a fulfilling career.

You have to know yourself before you can find work that truly resonates. It's not a luxury, it's a necessity.

Knowing yourself gives you a career compass, guiding you toward paths that will bring long-term fulfilment, not just short-term success.

Discovering Your Core Values

A crucial step in this process is identifying your core values - the principles that guide your decisions and define what fulfilment means to you.

Here’s a quick exercise to get started:

Review a list of values (like autonomy, creativity, security, leadership, or adventure).

Narrow it down to 3-5 values that truly resonate with you.

Ask yourself guiding questions, like:

Would I want my legacy to be defined by this value?
Would my 8-year-old and 80-year-old self both agree this is important to me?

Rank your top values to see what matters most.

Your values shape the kind of work that will feel meaningful to you.

In my upcoming book, Self Compassing, the entire first chapter is dedicated to helping you find your core values. It's packed with an extensive list of values and all the guidance you need, so by the end, you'll have a much clearer picture of yourself and a tool you can use forever. You can download the first chapter for free from here.

Aligning Passion with Reality

Many people assume passion is something you find. But the reality is that passion is something you create.

And the key is aligning your work with what you truly value.

Think about those times when you’ve felt deeply engaged, totally absorbed in something, completely in the zone.

-> What were you doing?

-> What kind of work actually excites you?

-> What gets your brain and heart buzzing? ⚡️

When your career actually matches your deepest values – the things that are really important to you – work stops feeling like a drag, like some tedious chore you have to endure. It transforms. It starts to feel like... well, like a calling. Something you're meant to do. And that's a pretty powerful feeling.

Ready to Take the First Step?

Self-discovery isn't a one-and-done thing, it's a journey. 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️

But the sooner you get started, the sooner you can build a career that feels real, authentic and genuinely fulfilling. Not just a job, but something that actually resonates with who you are.