It didn’t come from a boss.
It didn’t come from a leadership seminar, a bestselling book, or a fancy conference.
The best career advice I ever got came from a friend during a walk, over coffee, while I was venting about my job.
At the time, I was stuck. Not burned out stuck. Just… lost. I didn’t hate my job, but I wasn’t excited to go to work either. I was doing what I thought I should be doing: checking boxes, working hard, trying to move up. But something felt off.
I said, I just don’t know what i am supposed to be doing anymore. I’m good at this job, but it’s not me.”
She looked at me and said something I’ll never forget:
“Stop chasing titles. Start chasing energy.”
At first, it sounded like a motivational quote you'd find on Instagram. But then she explained it more, and it hit me hard.
Chase What Energizes You, Not What Impresses Others
Her point was simple: A job title, a raise, or a promotion might look great on paper but none of those things matter if you’re miserable doing the work that gets you there.
She said, “Pay attention to what parts of your job give you energy not drain it. That’s where you’ll find your actual path.
So, I started paying attention.
I made a list for one week: Tasks I loved doing, Tasks I tolerated, Tasks that left me feeling drained or frustrated
It was eye opening. I realized that i felt the most alive when I was helping people solve problems or mentoring someone new not when I was updating spreadsheets or sitting in endless meetings. I had never considered those things “real” skills before. But they were.
Why It Mattered
Once I saw the pattern, I started leaning into it. I volunteered to help onboard new hires. I joined cross functional meetings where my communication skills helped smooth out confusion between teams. I started small, but it added up.
That energy spread. I became more visible. Opportunities came more naturally not because I pushed harder, but because I aligned better.
Eventually, I loved into a role in people operations and later leadership development. That path wasn’t even on my radar before. But it felt like home.
All because I stopped chasing what looked good, and started chasing what felt right.
Not Just Passion But Direction
A lot of people will tell you to “follow your passion.” But passion can be tricky. What if you don’t know what it is? What if it changes?
What I learned is this: passion isn’t always fireworks. Sometimes, it’s just paying attention to what energizes you, even a little.
Ask yourself:
What are you doing when you feel most like yourself?
Those are clues. Follow them.
It’s Okay to Redefine Success
For a long time, I thought success was about climbing a ladder. But I’ve learned it’s more like building your own bridge. It might not look straight or traditional, but it leads you somewhere meaningful.
There’s nothing wrong with ambition. But it has to be yours not borrowed from someone else’s idea of what’s impressive.
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