Is Your “Light” On?

In my executive coaching practice and in my book What Lights You Up? Illuminate Your Path and Take the Next Big Step in Your Career, I ask people to think about what they are passionate about and identify “what lights them up.” Some have a hard time identifying this at first and some even feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to answer that question for themselves. As adults, it’s easy to get caught up in the never-ending “to-do” lists and ongoing thoughts about what they “should” be doing. I urge them to shift their mindsets and explore what they want to be doing and what gives them joy.

A wise friend, Meryl, once said to me, “You can change your mindset to one of gratitude and expansion. You simply need to stop saying ‘I need to do this’ and ‘I should be doing that’ and instead say, ‘I’m so grateful that I get to do this’ and ‘How lucky am I that I’m able to do this.’” A small shift in mindset makes a big difference in how we look at our lives. Today, as you read this, shift your mindset with the idea that once you identify what it is that you want and what it is that lights you up, you will start to see your whole life differently too! (And so will others around you!)

If you don’t know if your “light” is on, start from the beginning. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What were your childhood dreams?

2. As a young child, do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up?

3. Is that related to what you are doing today?

4. If not, how and where did you pivot into what you are doing now?

5. Is what you are doing today filling your cup?

6. Rate on a scale of 1-10 how much satisfaction you have in your work right now.

Your light is a gift that has been inside of you since the day you were born. It’s a part of your natural gifts and skills that are innately yours and yours alone. When you see young children, they are typically naturally vibrant and more connected with their true essence. As we grow into adulthood, we have experiences that create self-limiting beliefs due to circumstances or even people telling us we can’t do things. As adults, we can become jaded and miss out on that childlike wonder that we used to have. But, with this process and a clearer sense of what we want and where we want to go, we can start to see past those self-limiting beliefs and look toward the potential of what can be, to design a path toward work and a life that lights us up.

From my 30+ years as a recruiter and executive coach, I know that when your natural gifts are honed and elevated and your light is on, you will:

• Get hired faster

• Get promoted

• Be happier and healthier

If you struggle to identify your light, there are exercises that can help. Create a daily “light log” and pay attention to what is happening in your day when you feel the most energized and happy. This can also be a gratitude journal. What are the things in your life that you are grateful for? It can be things such as interesting work, feeling a sense of purpose in your work, great co-workers and a good company culture, flexible work hours, and the list goes on. As you create this list, look back and notice what patterns are emerging for you.

What are you seeing? Is your work aligned with the things that are bringing you joy? If not, maybe it’s time to create a new plan.

More questions to ask yourself are:

• What brings you joy?

• What makes you unique?

• What’s on your bucket list?

• Do you have a side hustle or a hobby that you could turn into a full-time job and make a living doing?

You can design a work and a life that you enjoy, no matter what stage of life you are in—work can and should be fulfilling and fun. Throw away the idea that it is a grind. When your passion, purpose, skills, and natural gifts are aligned, you can begin to enjoy your work, and that will spill over into your entire life.