Develop Your Professional Pursuit Through Discovery of Your Authentic Self

Have you ever stopped to consider why the professional world is so competitive? It’s because everybody plays by the same rules. 

It’s a rule book that’s been handed down for decades, and it includes important chapters on how to rise through the ranks of your chosen field as quickly as possible. 

Yet there are some people who choose not to play by those rules, opting instead for a slightly different approach to their professional pursuits. 

Are these people destined for failure? Or will they achieve success in ways that everyone else will be dumbfounded by?

Why is it important to discover your authentic self?

Our environment, upbringing, and culture shape us into who we are. But what if you grew up in a culture that wasn’t a good fit for you? What if your upbringing was so strict, it left you feeling suffocated and unhappy?

Imagine a world where you can explore who you truly are, and not have to hide behind the mask of values and beliefs that don’t belong to you.

The best thing about this world is that it exists. It’s called self-discovery. It is the process of unlocking your authentic self and allowing yourself to live from that place. Not pursuing something that someone else told you to pursue.

That sounds all fine and dandy but what makes up your authentic self?

In this time and age, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine what our authentic selves are. The Internet has put a spotlight on everyone, including their flaws and mistakes. It can be difficult to determine what parts of ourselves are true, and which parts are a façade we have constructed over the years.

We spend so much time on social media that we sometimes forget what’s real about us and what isn’t. We often portray an idealized version of ourselves online, editing away the bad parts – or even worse, putting on a mask entirely.

It is not lost on me that you are likely reading this as a result of a post from a social media site or from my website. My suggestion to everyone, including myself is get really clear on how social media can help you and not become a hindrance.

Your Professional Pursuit is about defining that long term journey that you may not even fully understand how to accomplish. The how isn’t important, it is the what that is paramount. The how will take care of itself in due time.

It is much like climbing a mountain. There are times when it is unclear how you will reach the summit, but if you continue to move forward thoughtfully and safely you will get there and will discover that there is a path for you to follow.

Discovering your skills & talents takes some effort

How does one discover what talents they have? I believe it may be easier than you think. If you can clearly define what your passion is, and the things you absolutely love doing, then you are on your way to finding your talent.

Ok but then how do figure out your passion? That my friend lies at the intersection of your true authentic self and that long term journey I spoke of. You need to make sure that the journey is one that will connect with you authentic self over the long term.

And, it is not a matter of how many hours or how much effort we put in, but how focused we are during those hours that counts. You will naturally start to see some of your talents shining through when you start to reframe this thinking.

One of the reasons why you should match your talents to your passion is that a talented individual will spend less time working on a particular task than an untalented person would. So in a sense you will be able to get further faster if you only take a pause to consider this.

We all have skills, but they must be developed and refined so that they can be used in our favor. It is easier to leverage your strengths than it is to try and improve upon your weaknesses. Not to say that you shouldn’t focus on improving your weaknesses, but that isn’t where I would start.

Your authentic self is the best guide for your professional development, and we only need to look inside to figure out what we should really be focused on and working toward.

To develop your professional pursuit, you must have a connection to your authentic self. It is not easy to find your authentic self because it involves acceptance of who you are and what you want to be. 

But with some help from yours truly, you can discover your authenticity as a professional and use that on your journey to live out your professional pursuit (your kokorozashi). Reach out today to find out when the next coaching cohort is starting, I would love to have you join the group.

#kokorozashi #worklifeharmony #ikigai #harmonyinbusiness #professionalpursuit