Mental health is incredibly important – especially in today’s society. One of the most important aspects many say to consider within mental health is having a proper work-life balance. While this is incredibly important, it pushes you to make comparisons within your life between work and your life outside of work.
For many, this is something that they find to be important and to keep in mind when it pertains to how they live their lives. Others, such as leaders within society, find that their life is out of balance and they are happy that way. This is why understanding that what is considered “balanced” and “happiness” depends entirely on the person. It all really comes down to what you find to be fulfilling.
If you are seeking to become a leader, one of the first factors to consider is establishing a strong mindset for yourself as a leader. This does not happen within a day and like other aspects in life, it takes time. Without a proper mindset, your skills and tactics will not have a proper foundation that enables you to be the best leader you can be. This is why understanding the three steps to locating fulfillment in your life is crucial to understand.
Have you ever experienced a day where you felt you used every bit of energy you have and put your whole into a project/job and found yourself completely satisfied? No matter how difficult the day was, you still find yourself wanting more. This is because you are a driven individual with a goal, which is the first step within finding fulfillment. Whether you are working a low-end job getting through college, building your dream house for your family, or pursuing your dream, you are putting in the work that is needed to get you where you want to be.
When you are approaching the later years in your life, you will want to understand “why” and what exactly was your purpose of existing on this planet. Hopefully, all of the countless hours that you put into what you were striving for in life helped you understand this a bit better.
It is so important to answer the question that so many of us are looking for, which is “what is the point?” or “why was I brought here?”. Getting familiar with these questions and seeing into the future of where you want to be will allow you to come closer to answering these questions and ultimately aid in truly understanding your “why”.
Since you are now aware of the number one question to ask yourself, you need to develop a strategy for this question. In order to be a successful leader, you need to have an overall goal in mind – shooting for the stars isn’t a bad goal to have either. Having a dream that you wish to one day make reality will only push you further.
Understand that failure comes within success and that every long-term goal has setbacks and that’s okay – you’re in it for the long haul. When developing a “what” and constructing a strategy, write down where you want to be as well as all of the accomplishments you have already made to help get you where you wish to be.
Set small goals for yourself and attempt to accomplish these with time. As these smaller goals become completed, you will find yourself so far on your journey to success and fulfilling your overall goal that you will feel satisfied and push yourself for more. It can be easy to write big dreams off as “it would never happen” and with that mindset it probably will not. Therefore, tell yourself that it is a possibility, develop a “what”, and push yourself.
When building your “how”, keep in mind that success is a journey and not necessarily a destination. While you do want to find yourself at the end of your road, you still need to understand that the journey is the best part.
You can find this within every success story. If you ask anyone that has “made it” and become a successful leader you will find that they believe there is more to their “what” and “why” than what everyone else is seeing. No matter where you are at within your overall goal, the only true finish line or end goal is when you part ways with this world.
The only thing left behind will be the legacy that you leave with all of the lives that you impacted through being a leader. The only thing you will take with you is your heart and the fulfillment of purpose within your life. The most crucial aspect of success is your legacy and that legacy will be the manner in which you answered your “why”.
These three steps are key in understanding fulfillment as a leader and how it will benefit your life. Waking up one day and realizing that you haven’t become the person that you have aspired to be is the reality of many individuals. Therefore, get out there and start pursuing your goals and become the you that you want to be.
Keep in mind that you know who you are and what fulfills you, practice proper self-care, and be an effective leader with adequate empathy and understanding. Develop a strong mindset and find the balance that you find to be the perfect amount for yourself.
If you are having a difficult time locating what fulfills you, there are assessment available that can help you with determining this. Even seeking out a life coach, therapist, or a mentor can also give you further insight into your true self that you may be unable to reach on your own.
If you are struggling with finding your purpose and what fulfills you, remind yourself that it takes time and that you will locate it sometime soon and that it is all a part of the journey.