Aaron had a great job with a medical supplies company in deliveries. Fresh out of high school, dealing mostly with the infirmed and elderly wasn’t exactly where he wanted to be … but how could he give away a good job with benefits when his parents are so proud of him?

Aaron’s in a position where, despite the good job he parents believe is successful, he isn’t satisfied with his life. His paycheck hasn’t garnered him a sense of fulfillment. If he isn’t careful, he may start engaging in self-destructive behaviors and lose his job and his parents’ respect.

Link Actions to Your Intentions

During the daily grind, it’s easy to lose sense of our focus. We often wind up making decisions that work against our goals. In the example above, Aaron’s focus on keeping his job for the sake of stability will eventually lead to his situation falling apart.

How can we make sure our actions fall in line with our intentions? Common sense is not the answer. It makes perfect sense that keeping your job will create a stable environment. Sometimes we have to look at how we feel.

Is what you are doing making you feel good about yourself? Do your actions fulfill you in the here and now? There will never be a time when we are 100% satisfied with life, but sometimes an opportunity feels all wrong.

Take Lisa, for instance. Her husband left her after the birth of their second child and she desperately needs a job. She saw an ad in the paper for exotic dancers. The work hours are good for her, as her mom will watch the kids overnight, and the pay is excellent. Even though financially it would be a good opportunity, she passes because – for her – the job just wasn’t a match with her personality.

It’s very easy to get caught up in responsibilities and expectations and forget that, as a human, you are limited to a degree by your emotions. If you feel unfulfilled, or despise what you do, you will never make an effort to improve and you will never feel successful.

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