Is HOW you serve serving you?
“I really don’t want to do this work anymore.”
A client recently said this to me in a coaching session. We were reviewing the services she offers to her clients and when we came to one in particular, I could tell by the look on her face that it wasn’t love anymore. It’s a service she’s been offering for a long time but it no longer aligns with her purpose, which means she really doesn’t have any enthusiasm for it.
This conversation was not a one-off. Over the last several months, other clients have shared the same thought with me. They’ve been chugging along doing the same thing for years but it’s not serving them anymore. This realization might feel a little unsettling but it’s perfectly normal. We grow and change as people and professionals, so it’s reasonable to assume that we might need to shift how we work to accommodate new learnings and perspectives. With that in mind, I asked each client the same simple question: “What do you want to do instead?”
My last blog encouraged you to ask if who you’re serving is serving you, but it’s just as important to make sure how you serve them supports your purpose. You want your work to make an impact – on your business, on your clients, on the world. That’s a big lift if what you do doesn’t excite you. Being passionate about what you have to offer doesn’t mean you are perpetually in love with it. We all have bad patches when everything feels like absolute clown shoes. On balance, though, your work should remind you of – and support – your purpose, even on your worst days. If it doesn’t, here’s that question again…
What do you want to do instead?
I know a man who spent years building his reputation as a talented portrait photographer. Then suddenly, he switched to shooting landscapes exclusively. Turns out, managing bridezillas and squirmy toddlers took a lot of joy out of his work, so he made a change. His pivot lets him remain true to his purpose of bringing beauty into the world through his photography, he’s just doing it in a way that feels lighter and more fulfilling. This is the really beautiful thing about making sure your work and purpose are aligned. Ditching what doesn’t serve you gives you more time to pursue what does. You will have more energy for the work you do, which means you’ll deliver better results. When people see how much you love what you do, they will want to draw close to that energy.
When your car is out of alignment it drives a little wonky. When your back is out of alignment you slump and compensate. When your work is out of alignment with your purpose…well, you can connect the dots. If you are in this place, take the time to pause, assess, and ask what you want to do instead. The clarity you find will help you come back to your work and your purpose stronger than ever before.
