I was on the hunt for my perfect job.
My dissatisfaction was never due to one particular job, a specific employer, or any sort of mistreatment. Rather, my short-sighted attitude guided me down a futile path. An all-or-nothing mentality spoke to me: as long as I was searching for my ‘perfect’ job, nothing else was good enough. And it never was.
Eventually I discovered the solution to my professional disappointment.
My adolescent dream was to become an aerospace engineer. I made that dream come true. After several years in my career, I decided it was time to make a different dream come true. I left my engineering profession and engaged in some tough self-reflection. I experienced difficult yet enlightening self-awareness breakthroughs, thanks to life coaching. In hindsight, I learned why much of my professional life had felt so unfulfilling: I falsely believed my career was supposed to ‘make’ me happy.