If you are a High-Achieving Woman, you are in constant search for the next big challenge. You love to learn, and when you feel you’ve learned all you can in any one position, you are ready to move on to the next one. It may be a search for new skills or bigger thrills, but if you can’t find it at your current job, you will go elsewhere. Some of you are concerned about this constant moving from one position to the other.  And many of you move randomly, simply taking the next interesting challenge that comes along. Let’s take a look at how Elizabeth deals with her need for constant change and challenge…

“You are amazing!” says one of Elizabeth’s peers. “You know so much about so many things, and you’ve only been here a few months!” Elizabeth laughs and replies, “Oh, I’m just a Jack of All Trades, and Master of None!”  She feels she has a wide range of experience, but she’s never been one to delve into the deep details of any of her projects. Thus, she can talk on a wide variety of subjects, but don’t question her on specifics! Her ability to learn something completely new in an alarmingly short period of time is astonishing, and appreciated by her employers.

Elizabeth has good reason for this ability. She has to be able to absorb knowledge quickly to best meet the challenges she so craves. Not just any challenge, but the biggest, toughest assignment that no one else could possibly pull off! And once she’s completed that assignment quicker and better than anyone else, she’s off to the next big challenge. In meeting these challenges, she plunges in and learns as much about the assignment as is possible, to ensure she manages it perfectly. She collects knowledge like other people collect stamps, and when there’s nothing new left to learn in any particular assignment, she’ll start searching for another position, or even another company.

Unfortunately, this search is not a satisfying one for Elizabeth. The never-ending quest for something she can’t define leads to a feeling of dissatisfaction and a lack of fulfillment. When she changes jobs, she does so randomly, simply taking the next position, rather than working towards a particular vision. As a High-Achieving Woman, her constant search for new challenges is an expression of her need to be fulfilled. But, how can she be fulfilled if she doesn’t really know what fulfillment means to her?

Elizabeth talked to Frances, her mentor, about her underlying dissatisfaction. “Do you ever have the feeling that no matter how well you do, it’s not enough?” she asked Frances.

Frances smiled knowingly. “Yes, I’m very familiar with that feeling.  I’d never worked anywhere for longer than 18 months until I accepted my current position.

Elizabeth was amazed. “Me too! I feel like once I’ve learned everything there is to know in my position, I’m bored and I want to find something else. I’ve never stayed anywhere longer than 2 years!”

Frances replied “That’s exactly how I felt. Once the initial thrill was gone out of a position, it was time to move. I was a consultant for years because of that; I never had to worry about getting bored. I finally came to accept that I needed constant change. That is, until my current job.  I’ve been here for 4 years!”

“So, how is your job holding your interest?”

“Well,” mused Frances, “I found a position that allows me to make an impact on this company, in my own way. I now feel like I have some measure of influence on our company direction. I actually feel like I’m making a difference in the world!”

Elizabeth thought about Frances’ position, as a Vice President in HR. “Um, but you’re just working with employees. How is that making a difference in the world?”

Frances then explained how by helping employees be the best they can be, she was improving their lives. In turn, their increased happiness improved the satisfaction of their customers, and even the lives of their families and friends. “I discovered that my mission in life is to help people discover their own greatness.” Frances went on, “Even if I help only one person do this, the impact on the world can be enormous. Imagine if I can help hundreds of people do it! It’s a very fulfilling job for me.”

“And that,” she concluded, “is why I’m so satisfied with my current job, and don’t have that nagging desire to move any time soon. I get all the challenges I need simply by achieving my mission in life!”

Elizabeth was impressed with the passion in Frances’ voice. She seemed to truly love and believe in what she was doing. “As much as I enjoy meeting different challenges and learning new things, it sure would be nice to feel about my job the way you feel about yours…” she mused.

After speaking with Frances, Elizabeth realized that she will always enjoy challenges, but that it would be much more satisfying if she could choose those challenges based upon a vision of what she wanted out of her life. She resolved that her next step would be to figure out her own personal mission, and to better understand what she really wanted out of life. She knew that with a clear plan, she can attain anything. Why not apply her business skills to her own life? Armed with this knowledge, she could start making more fulfilling choices, and maybe even discover her perfect job!

Elizabeth has discovered a secret to fulfillment: when you discover out what drives you, what is your purpose in this life, you will attain a deeper understanding of your challenges, and how to meet them. Join us in our next article as Elizabeth continues on her journey of discovery, finding meaning and direction.

####

Kathy Harman, CSC, PCC is a Certified Success Coach and co-founder of Real Results, Inc., who helps High-Achieving Women do what they love and love what they do. She is the author of The ABC’s of Living Well, and offers a Group Coaching Program tailored to High-Achieving Women. Find out more at www.realresults.us.com.