Finding Joy at Work (How to find authentic professional fulfillment)

The worst place you can be in is stuck in a job that drains your soul.

Not miserable enough to quit.

Just comfortable enough to stay.

That was me years ago.

What happened, you ask?

I had been working at a job that paid the bills.

Don’t get me wrong, I gave my best effort every day. And I was very good at it. Even received many accolades at work.

But the work left me feeling empty.

I didn't feel challenged. Every day felt like a repeat of the last. My inner flame had fizzled out, leaving me stuck in a routine.

Then, my wife encouraged me to apply for a leadership position.

I balked at the idea.

"I prefer to not think of work the minute I clock out."

My wife replied,?

"You might actually thrive in the challenge."

Reluctantly, I agreed.

I had no idea that this decision would change the trajectory of my career.

A few days after starting in the new company, I met the VP, and we had a lively conversation.

We talked about our passions and strengths. We also discussed finding meaning in work.

He challenged me to think about what truly made me feel alive. He opened my eyes to the possibilities I had been ignoring.

The next morning, I felt a mix of excitement and fear.

Could I really make a change??

Is it possible to find work that didn't just pay the bills but also fuels our passion?

The worry turned to curiosity. The curiosity turned to action.

Then… a realization.

I needed to reassess my values. Like, what really matters to me.

I asked tough questions:

• What did I love doing??
• What skills did I excel at?
• What impact did I want to have?

Every answer brought me closer to a vision of a fulfilling career.

The funny thing is, if I hadn't felt stuck, I might never have pushed myself to explore these questions.

The cool thing is, you don't have to feel stuck to start this journey.

In school, we’re often directed toward careers based on external factors—salary, stability, prestige.

Rarely are we taught to pursue what truly fulfills us.

After discovering what I was passionate about, my career path changed. I was more engaged, motivated, and happier.

The daily grind didn't feel like a grind anymore.

Life was good. Most of the time.

I learned the importance of aligning work with values.

When I shared my journey with friends, I was surprised by how much it resonated with them.

"Like really, you found a job that doesn't feel like work?" they would ask.

Lol.

There are many lessons on finding fulfillment I can share, but that's not the topic of this letter. Maybe another Sunday.

Schools probably didn’t teach you how to find fulfillment.

And thus, they made you focus on extrinsic rewards.

If you focus solely on external rewards, it’s safe to say that you might miss out on deeper satisfaction.

Fulfillment is a fundamental human drive.

Without fulfillment, work feels mundane.

Without fulfillment, achievements feel hollow.

Your days feel repetitive and unremarkable.

You don’t see your future changing much from the present.

What if I told you there’s a path to professional fulfillment waiting for you?

The problem is that many people are still following a script written by others. They are on a career trajectory that they didn’t set.

If you want to create a fulfilling career, find work that excites you, makes you feel more engaged, maximizes your contribution, influence, and impact…

Start by exploring what truly matters to you.

That's what I did after that conversation with the VP of our company --

I explored and I pursued… what truly mattered to me.

After only three months, I got promoted to a director-level position.

That VP?

He became my first career mentor.

Reasons to Seek Fulfillment?

You don’t need a reason to seek fulfillment.

You don’t need a reason to pursue what lights you up.

You don’t need a reason to spend your time on this Earth feeling engaged and motivated.

It is your birthright.

But, as we all know, the modern corporate world would beg to disagree.

Now, stick with me, because if you understand these lessons, their effects can be profound.

Here’s your career ladder:

1. You can only excel with what fuels you.

Your mind won’t notice new opportunities if your goals do not align with your values.

If you are with people who define success by external metrics, your mind will only notice ideas that help you reach those metrics.

But, if you re-educate yourself with new views, you'll find ideas that will help you set new, fulfilling goals.

• Your awareness expands.
• You begin to connect new ideas in your life.
• You notice opportunities that you wouldn’t have cared about or noticed before.

Then, and only then, can your mind begin to notice higher-level ideas that allow you to see progress in that domain.

You might fail the first time, and the second, or the third.

But your potential will always be there. Even if you quit, it won’t stop nagging you. There’s no going back.

The point is this:

Life probably passes you by because you are exposed to the same information day after day. Life hasn’t changed much for you since you achieved the goals others set for you.

You need a new goal.

You need to self-reflect to reach that goal.

This simple process alone will be responsible for much of the joy in your life.

True fulfillment is about curiosity and discovery.

Not conformity and external validation.

2. Your mind is a muscle that must be challenged.

Many people obsess over physical health but rarely prioritize mental and emotional health.

Well… not entirely true.

Many do care about mental health but use bandaid solutions to solve deeper issues.

Fulfillment is about sense-making, understanding, and clarity.

When you feel stuck, it’s usually because you are in a situation that doesn’t align with your values or passions.

You aren’t where you want to be because you haven’t lifted the mental and emotional weight that allows you to get there.

You don’t have the knowledge or clarity that allows you to navigate your career path.

The mind is the operating system for your life, and many people are running on outdated software.

You change your life by reprogramming your mind.

Explore new ideas that…

• challenge your beliefs,
• expose you to how much you don’t know, and
• encourage you to change your behavior in a way that aligns with your values.

Don’t expect to achieve fulfillment on your first try.

Also, pass over the ideas that don’t resonate.

Your mind will slowly connect the dots as you continue your journey.

3. The best way to end dissatisfaction is to pursue what makes your heart sing.

You can only have so many priorities in your day.

1. One for your mind
2. One for your body
3. One for your work
4. One for your relationships

If you were to stop right now and audit your day,?how many of the tasks you unconsciously performed are actually helping your future?

When we observe society, it’s easy to assume that the number is close to zero.

From there, it’s even easier to assume that:

(1) they aren’t happy,

(2) they will be the same person…

In the same position,

With the same mind,

In 20+ years.

In that case, swapping unfulfilling tasks with meaningful work could dramatically change more than just your career.

It could potentially save your sense of purpose.

Unfulfilling work isn’t just bad because it takes away time from fulfilling work; it slowly erodes every other aspect of your life.

Unfulfilling work isn’t neutral in its effect. It is exponentially detrimental.

Just as fulfilling work, is exponentially rewarding.

?

There you go.

Remember your career ladder:

1. You can only excel on what fuels you.
2. Your mind is a muscle that needs to be challenged.
3. End dissatisfaction by pursuing what makes your heart sing.

It’s never too late.

You’re never too old.

To find joy in what you do.

Remember, it is your birth right.

I’ll see you next Sunday.

To your success,

Dr. Lex ??

P.S. Thank you for reading - please help spread the message of Career Ladder to your friends and network!