If you are unhappy with your role at work and want to, or for now have to, stay with your current job, then these reflections will set you up to be a happier mom with a career you’ll love. This article includes a downloadable pdf journal worksheet.

Written by Nadine Stille, who coaches moms with careers to ditch their daily grind and bring more joy into their lives.

By the way: If you already know that you’d like to leave and transition to another job, check out: “Job Change For Working Moms*: 10 Steps to Take When You’re Done With Your Job”

“To be a ‘good’ professional, you have to leave your private life at home”, I remember hearing early on in my career.

Have you ever heard the reverse?

“To be a ‘good’ mom, you have to leave your professional life at work.”

I haven’t.

To be honest, I believe either approach would only set us up for failure. It’s a near impossible approach to fully compartmentalize and close off either our personal or professional life. Eventually something will have to give. That could be our calm and resolve, our sanity…

Being unhappy and unfulfilled at work, will, if we want to or not, spill over into our personal lives and have an impact on us and the people around us. 

Having a fulfilling job we can thrive in as moms will undoubtedly have a positive impact on us. 

10 Questions to get More Fulfilled at Work

If, for now, you want to or have to stay in your role but make some tweaks to feel happier and more fulfilled at work, then here are 10 questions to ask yourself and reflect on. 

Question 1: What is the underlying reason you feel unfulfilled in your job? 

Write as much detail as possible. The more clarity you have, the more effectively you can take action to change something about the situation. Some of the top reasons I hear about are related to toxic workplace culture, unsupportive leadership and colleagues, lack of professional development or career growth, no flexibility, especially when it comes to working hours and potential to work from home, low salary and benefit packages, etc.

Question 2: What impact does the current situation have on you?

Note what feelings and thoughts come to mind, and how it affects your life.

Question 3: Why is a change important to you?

Being aware of your why will help you advocate for change, and keep you on track.

Question 4: What’s at stake if you do not change anything about the situation?

This is crucial. Imagine you don’t advocate for change to be happier? Imagine everything remains the same. What’s on the line?

Question 5: What impact would a more fulfilled work experience have on you?

Now imagine what’s possible! How would you feel when you’ve advocated for yourself? 

Question 6: What is in your power to change or to address?

Write everything down that seems immediately possible and all that seems a stretch. For the latter examples, you can always break it down into smaller steps/actions and/or get further support on your side to not go through it on your own.

Question 7: What resources can you use to start the change process to be happier?

Resources can be many things, for instance: colleagues, a manager, dedicated time, a mentor, money, a coach, knowledge, etc.

Question 8: How will you try to talk yourself out of taking a step towards change?

This is important as there’s always going to be a moment when those voices in our head come up to say: “Ah, it’s not that important anyway.” or “It’ll never happen so I might as well not try.” By anticipating those kind of self-sabotaging thoughts, we take away their power over us. When this happens, simply acknowledge “Oh, there you are. I’ve been expecting you. I’ve got no use for you.” and move on. This is the time you’d want to concentrate on your ‘why’ and what’s at stake if you don’t take action.

Question 9: Who is part of your team as an accountability partner, support, or cheerleader?

Name a few people you’d love to have on your side to learn from, brainstorm your plan with, entrust your experience on, and celebrate with.

Question 10: What are you willing to commit to and when will you get started?

Last but not least, what would you like to take action on to be more fulfilled at work? Pop a timeline on it and make it work.

My wish for you is to find the clarity and courage you need to be happy at work and have a fulfilled career. 

Remember, if you don’t ask, the answer is always going to be ‘no’. This inspirational quote by Alice Walker also works well here: "Don't wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you've got to make yourself."

For now, I’m leaving you with the signup link to get your ‘How to get more fulfilled in my job’-worksheet, and an invitation to connect.

P.S. If you’d like to have a quick chat with me about being happier at work, then let’s do it. Book us in for a no-strings attached call here.