How finding my "thing" changed my life for the better
Some of you might have seen that my group coaching programme, Find Your Thing, is currently open for enrolment. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt a little lost or unsatisfied by their career. It’s for anyone who knows there’s something else out there for them, but doesn’t really know where to start with figuring out what that could be.
You can read more about what the programme entails here, but today I thought I’d share with you all how finding my “thing” changed my life for the better. Because up until 18 months ago, I too felt a little lost. In fact, I think I actually felt more than a little lost - I felt unfulfilled, uninspired and on the brink of burning out.
All of the jobs I’d had since graduating from uni looked great on paper - they paid well, they had fancy titles, I had access to lots of perks and travel opportunities, and I worked in “cool” industries. But as I crept ever closer to 30, I felt frustrated that I still hadn’t found a job I truly loved. I was jealous of my friends who spoke with passion about their work. I knew I needed to make a change, but I didn’t know where to begin.
It took me a while, but working through the process I teach in Find Your Thing (and having a coach on hand to provide accountability and ask the right questions) helped me to figure out what it was that I truly wanted to do, and now I can see with clarity that the reason I was so unfulfilled in my previous roles was because the work I was doing didn’t feel aligned with my values at all. I loved the teams I worked with, and there were always elements of my jobs that I enjoyed, but the things I craved - freedom, flexibility, doing work that truly had an impact - never felt within reach.
It was tuning into those values, and combining them with other important information, like my previous experience, my passions and the work that came naturally to me, that allowed me to figure out what I wanted to with my life, which is to help other people live their most joyful lives, whatever that means to them.
Nowadays I do that through 1:1 coaching, courses and workshops, and my free content, and I can genuinely say that I have never been happier. Finding my “thing” has changed my life in many ways, both big and small, and today I thought I’d share some of them with you…
It’s allowed me to earn the same amount I did in my well paid corporate job, while working at least one day less a week
When I used to sit at my desk daydreaming about the future I wanted to build, the specifics were fuzzy but the wider picture was clear - I wanted to spend less time working and more time living. Finding my thing and intentionally building my own business around my values of freedom and flexibility has allowed me to earn the same amount as I did before, while reducing the amount of time I spend working. I now take every Monday off, which has freed up more time for adventures, long weekends away, and more date days with my husband. Plus, when it comes to taking holidays, I don’t have to wait for anybody else to approve my annual leave anymore!
It’s allowed me to do work that I truly care about
It might sound strange for me to say this, but when I come off my coaching calls I genuinely feel like I’m buzzing with excitement, and that’s because this work is something I truly care about. I can’t tell you how incredible it feels to hear that a client has made a breakthrough in their business, or that they’re feeling less overwhelmed as a result of the mindset work we’ve done together. Spending my days doing work that I know is positively impacting the lives of others is something that I will never take for granted, and something that has only been possible for me since figuring out my values and aligning the work I do with them.
It’s allowed me to do more in my community
Building a business that offers me freedom and flexibility has not only allowed me to carve out more time for my personal life and hobbies, it’s also meant that I can be more active in our local community. I now volunteer at our local foodbank every Tuesday morning, which is something that I’ve wanted to do for years, but the demands of my corporate job didn’t leave room in my schedule for. I feel really grateful that finding my thing has not only enabled me to do work I truly love, but has also given me the opportunity to give something back, too.
It’s given me my spark back
When I look at my life before and after finding my thing, I think the biggest change has been that I’ve now got my spark back. I’m properly excited about life again and I can find good in each and everyday. Before, I was always counting down to weekends or holidays, researching different career paths or dreaming about winning the lottery - I can see now with hindsight that I was desperate to escape my real life. But now, I feel more content and happy than ever before, and I can hand on heart say that I haven’t experienced the Sunday night blues in months. As someone whose main mission in life is to squeeze as much joy out of it as possible, that feels like the biggest win there is.
If this post has inspired you to find your thing, I’d love to help you do exactly that. Enrolment for Find Your Thing is open until Friday 10th April, and if you have any questions you can drop me an email at sophiecliff@live.com.
