Life Energies and Your Work

Did you know that your Life Energies can either match your work or be contrary to it? There are three Life Energies – Aliveness, Truth, and Workability – and you have all three. However, one is in the lead and is the lens through which you see and process everything.

Furthermore, your business, work, or job also has a Life Energy! It can explain why certain jobs have been a great fit and why others have morphed into something that is barely tolerable.

Below are very simple lists of the three Life Energies and a link to a video that describes them in more detail.

Life Energies are a simple way to recognize and explain how differently we look at problems, process information, and take action (or don’t). You can see from the lists above, each Life Energy almost speaks a different language. Some of the challenges you’ve had with co-workers and managers often are because they are coming from a completely different perspective. Therefore, you can set down the judgments you’ve had about how you or they should be doing things differently.

Life Energies and Your Work

Now, let’s look at the really interesting part, the Life Energy of your job. As I mentioned above, it can explain why it is fulfilling or drives you to distraction. Here are some examples of mismatches. 

• You have Aliveness Life Energy and sit in an office by yourself. Your job requires you to fill out forms, collect data, and collate materials. In addition, you have little interaction with other people.

• You have Truth Life Energy and have a job that requires constant immediate responses. You travel weekly selling something that has no meaning for you. The bulk of your job is interacting with other people.

• You have Workability Life Energy and you have a boss who micromanages your work. Your manager asks you to do a project and then changes his mind midway through. You spend most of your time in meetings rehashing the project, ad nauseam, without ever getting to complete anything.

Mismatches can show up at any time throughout the trajectory of your career. I most frequently hear from clients that they have loved their jobs for about 10 or 15 years. Then, they find themselves constantly putting out fires, working harder and later, feeling overwhelmed, and leaving work exhausted. They can’t figure out how the job they used to love is one they now barely tolerate.

Often your job has morphed into something that no longer fits. It has happened slowly, over time and you didn’t even see it coming. You are now spending more time doing the part of your work that doesn’t fit your style. Also, you spend little time doing what you’re great at and really makes your heart sing. Recognizing the Life Energy mismatch helps you create a new process that aligns with you and your work. Or, you can use that information when you search for a new job that is actually a match for you. 

Life Energies and Your Job Search

Here’s a tip if you are currently in a job search. Look at the duties and responsibilities from a Life Energy perspective. The language will give you an indication of the Life Energy of the job. You will see which jobs fundamentally aren’t a fit. Yes, you might have the skillset to do the job, but is it a job that matches how you work best?

For example, here are several duties and responsibilities from job listings. See if you can identify the Life Energy of the job. 

Job 1

• Executes new strategic workspace initiatives to drive efficiencies
• Plans and ensures the strategic direction 
• Ensures compliance to facilities standards

Job 2

• Facilitate online conversations with customers and respond to queries
• Suggest new ways to attract prospective customers, like promotions and competitions
• Create engaging text and video content

Job 3

• Act as liaison between students and other departments
• Encourage and support students as they gain skills necessary for success
• Provide a trusting environment for students to share their thoughts, concerns and aspirations

You can see that each job has a specific tone. You might have the skills for each position, but the language of each will indicate if it’s the right fit for you.

If you find yourself stuck, overwhelmed, or feeling “meh” about your work, let’s talk. I’ll help you figure out the “why” and then we’ll create a plan to get you excited about work that taps into your sweet spot!