The #1 question to ask yourself to do work you love

The #1 question to ask yourself to do work you love

I have a question for you.

 “Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?” (Charles Bukowski)

Really take the time to ponder this.

This is probably the most important question you need to ask yourself if you want to be truly fulfilled in your work and in your life.

Why?

Well, it’s pretty simple.

If you don’t, your work and life will be aligned with who you think you should be.
…what you think you should love.
…what you think you should be good at.
…what the world thinks you should do to be successful.

Do you think living a life of shoulds will ever make you happy and fulfilled?

Be fully honest.

No, it won’t. Ever.

Or you are lying to yourself. or you are in denial.

Should in one of the biggest killers of happiness and fulfillment. 

So, let me ask you this question again in different ways:

  • Are you able to make the difference between who you truly are and what you think you should be?
  • Between what you love doing and what you think you should love or people say you should love?
  • Between what you are naturally good at and what the society says you should be good at to succeed?

Be honest with yourself.

The only thing that will ever makes you truly fulfilled in your career is doing work that is aligned with who you truly are
…what YOU love doing (not your friends, coworkers, parent, or spouse)
…what YOU are naturally good at.
…what makes YOU feel successful.

There is NO other way.

I can tell you. After working with hundreds of people over the past 5 years.

This is why the first part of my process with my clients is about uncovering their authentic self

Removing the layers of conditioning and going back to your authentic self is the prerequisite to discovering the Work you love.

To your true, authentic, best self!

Isabelle

What are you saying NO to? (pics from my apartment)

What are you saying NO to? (pics from my apartment)

Do you know that saying NO to what you don’t want is as important as saying YES to what you want?

It is often a prerequisite to it.
It is necessary.
You need to say no to what you do NOT want to make space for what you DO want.
There is no other way.

And this is true when you want to do work you love. You have to let go of work that is not for you.

Last week, I had a professional organizer come to my place to help me organize and declutter three big closets I have been procrastinating on. She was so good that she ended up reorganizing my whole apartment!

I gave away several boxes of stuff.
I let go of what was not serving me anymore.
I let go of things that were not bringing me joy.
I let go of things from the past that were not aligned with the future I am creating. It was not easy. 
I wanted to grab onto them.
I resisted at first.
But I knew grabbing onto them would not help me create the feeling I wanted to have in my place.
I HAD to let go to create the NEW feeling I wanted. 
I had to let go of the old to make space for the new. I am SO happy I did. It was worth it. 
I LOVE how my place feels like.
It feels so much more open and spacious for the new things I want in my life.Here are just a few pics. There is WAY more. My closets look amazing! I’m so happy with them that the first thing I do when I get up is look at them. 🙂

What do you need to say NO to to welcome what you want?
What is no longer working for you?
What is it you keep doing or having even if that does not bring you joy?

This is the experience of a lot of my clients. When they clarify the career they DO want, it often comes a time when they have to say NO to what they do not want anymore, which includes the shining offers coming their way that are a reflection of their old self and their old life. I call them “shiny objects.” Ah, because they are SO tempting…

What are “shiny objects” that look so cool on the outside but you know deep down that they are NOT what you truly want?

To make space for what you DO want, you will have –at some point, when the time is right– to say NO to what you do not want anymore.

It won’t be easy.
You will resist it.
Your rational mind will tell you all the reasons why you should not do it.
You will second guess yourself.
I will take courage.

But it will be SO worth it. 
What is on the other side is your freedom and your joy.
Your liberation.

I know it. I have been through it.

This is what I stand for.
This is why I do this work.
To help you be free to be who you truly are and do what you love.

To your freedom,

Isabelle

P.S. Comment below and let me know what you need to say NO to. I want to hear and support you!

How much do you value yourself? (pics of something I’ve never done before)

How much do you value yourself? (pics of something I’ve never done before)

Last week, I did something I have never done before. 

I treated myself with a FULL day 1:1 with my kickass business and transformational coach, Kendra.

Which means…all of her attention and coaching was on me between 10am and 7pm!
Yes! I had her all for myself for a full day!

Wow! Can you imagine this? My inner personal growth lover was ecstatic!

  • The whole agenda was MINE. I could ask support and coaching on ANYTHING I wanted.
  • I was the one to decide where I wanted to do our session: inside, outside, in the steam room, anywhere I wanted!
  • She treated me with yummy and healthy food for lunch and dinner.
  • She would ensure all my needs where taken care of: food, water, tea, comfort, temperature, etc
  • She even gifted me this beautiful innerSPIRIT rattle after I mentioned to her I wanted one.
  • I let her be of service to me and my expansion.
How amazing is that? Here is what I realized: Receiving this was a radical act of self-care and self-love.I was able to treat myself and receive in such a way because I value myself enough to have it.
I deserve it.
I am important enough.
I love myself enough to treat myself in such a way. Don’t be fooled though. This is the result of several years of focus and expansion in that area. I had to practice a lot to get to that point. And there are still times when I deprive myself of what I want. I’m far from being perfect at it.
How much do YOU value YOURSELF to treat yourself in such a way?
To invest time, energy, resources in what you truly desire.
Do you think you are worth it? you deserve it? OR do you short change yourself?
do you deprive yourself of what you truly desire?Take time right now to ponder this for yourself…

How much can you give to you?
How much goodness can you receive?
How good are you at receiving? at letting others serve you?

Are there any areas in your life where you short change yourself? Do you deprive yourself of what you truly want and need?

  • is it vacation or days off?
  • is it time for yourself to relax?
  • is it that thing that you really want?
  • is it that class you have always wanted to take?
  • Is it hiring a mentor or a coach to support you in an area of your life where you are stuck and have been stuck for a while?
  • is it something else?
Stop and look within. Whatever it is, be honest with yourself. What are you noticing? What are you going to do about it? Today? This week?
Awareness is great but it is only the first step. Nothing will change unless you take action….and if you are already pretty good at treating yourself well.What would stretch you to the next level?
What is one thing you have always wanted to do and have not allowed yourself to have or do?
What is the next level of your expansion?

Whatever it is, I’d love to hear! Please feel free to comment below.

To your brilliant life and career!

Isabelle

P.S. Remember: Expansion is a journey. I’m still on the journey as you are. Be kind with yourself if you notice it is hard for you to give to yourself what you deserve. but DO something about it. Take action! Action is the only way to shift this pattern. Start now. Don’t wait!