“Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.”
– Michael Josephson

This quote appeared on my calendar last month. I saw immediately how it applied to me, but also how it relates to the clients I work with.

Hopefully it spoke to you too! Here are 2 takeaways to help motivate you.

Look at where you’ve been

Some of my clients are so focused on where they want to go that they don’t slow down to look at how far they have come. It is so important to celebrate the small achievements – the steps you have taken to get to where you are now.

Often I need to remind my clients to reflect back on the progress they have made. Often I need to remind myself! Celebrate the work, the struggle, the grit that got you to this point. Look at where you can go.

During tough career transitions, whether voluntary or involuntary, my clients lose faith in how far they can go. Sometimes they are beaten down by external factors, like a poor work environment, a bad manager, or a position they cannot hold on to. They can no longer see what is possible.

Sometimes my clients have been beaten down by internal factors, like their inner critic voice, weak self-confidence or believing that their future goal is not obtainable.

Keeping the faith is hard, especially when there may seem to be endless setbacks.

I work with my clients to focus on their goal, their mission, their vision, their values – whatever it was that put them on this career journey in the first place. Re-connecting and holding onto the most critical thing, can help restore some faith in the journey.

You only have one journey so enjoy it

Enjoying the journey is the one that many of my clients struggle with. It is hard to find the joy in a job or a work environment that is so disconnected from what they want to be doing. However, I talk with my clients, and often remind them (and myself) that we can personally bring joy to every day. We can choose to infuse that joy by:

• completing a gratitude list each day
• setting aside a short time for meditation or journaling
• doing some self-care or self-compassion activities

Some of my clients re-define their perspective on the journey from one of ‘my job is not fulfilling’ to focusing on their goal to obtain a different position. That change in perspective often helps my clients find enjoyment in the journey. The journey is now filled with curiosity, learning, new connections rather than with a focus on dread or dis-engagement.

It’s our one journey. Let’s do our part to make it as fulfilling as possible!