“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Confucius

Today and every day, I am committed to you enjoying outstanding career satisfaction. I want you to wake up every day excited to go to work, and to know that your work is meaningful, rewarding and lucrative. I want your soul to smile and for you to earn enough for your financial needs are met and the future of your dreams is on track.

Let’s explore the key motivators that will lead you to outstanding career satisfaction whether you are currently in a job you like a little or don’t like at all. These ideas also apply if you’re out of work looking to get back into the game, or if you are looking towards retirement.

Here are three elements to explore fully to get you great clarity:

1. Direction: Where does your passion and talent meet a market or society need? What do you love to do and are really good at? It’s important to explore this in specific terms because it will be the curtain rod that everything else in your search hangs on. For example, rather than just knowing that you like working with people, look more specifically if you prefer speaking to large groups of people or if you would rather listen listening deeply to people in one-on-one conversations toward solving problems. Get the idea? Explore what subsets of people you like speaking to and what topics deeply interest you. Maybe you are moved to alleviate the world’s hunger problems, or perhaps you prefer working with customers buying fast cars. You can do whatever you want.

Maybe you’re moved to alleviate the worlds hunger problems working with people in the third world, or maybe you want to work with investment bankers and private equity investors or companies in the Fortune 500. Maybe you want to work with companies in the middle market, or maybe you want work with patients at a hospital or maybe you want to work with administrators at a hospital. Whatever you want to do, there’s a group of people there to serve and a career path around them. You can do whatever you want you want as long as you are willing to create and sustain a commitment until you’ve succeeded. I am convinced that you will find more satisfaction if your work also makes a difference about something you care about, which leads me to the second point.

2. Making a difference: In my opinion and experience, people who burn out in their jobs are caught in a rut of doing the same old thing and need to create something new in their job that would make a difference to our planet. This will make them happier to be in their jobs. Obviously, some jobs lend themselves more clearly to this, for example if you raise funds for a non-profit. But whatever you do, you can make a difference. For example, if you are providing customer service to people driving fast cars, consider also putting some of your salary to a good cause like lending to women in the developing world start a business. Perhaps you could convince customers to contribute to a worthy cause while they are driving fast. When you are out making a difference, you inspire the people around you. And this will give you career satisfaction.

3. Plan your work and work your plan. The first two ideas in this blog post are meaningless unless put to work. If your career direction is unclear, contact me or your favorite career advisor to crystallize your career path. Then communicate this to the right people so that they know what you are doing with your passion and talent, especially as it makes a difference.

When you integrate those three elements into your work every single day, you will find yourself in an outstanding state of being engaged in everyday living and everyday working. And that will show up when it’s time to get promoted or to get more business from your next client.

So, what about you? What’s next for your career? Which of these elements will you strengthen first?