Jackson Free Press

Some people just seem to have it all: work they are good at, love and great personal lives, too. How does this happen?

People grow and thrive given the right climate and conditions. When you are growing wiser and becoming a better person, you are in the right job. If your career meets your needs, uses your signature strengths and has you making better choices, the work is right for you. Consequently, you create a fulfilling life because what is most important to you—those things that other people just don't seem to get around to—are front and center.

If you're feeling numb, burnt out, overworked, underutilized or just stale, the first thing to do is to get crystal clear about why you work. Find the purpose behind why you do what you do, whether you work as a solo business owner, in the executive suite, as an employee or at home. The more powerfully connected you are to the purpose and meaning of your work, the more clear you are about your vision, the more energy you will have to create the right climate to thrive. Your practical steps will be purposeful and fall more easily into place, whether those steps lead to the security of a warm home, or to the freedom that comes from doing the work of your heart's calling. When you use your signature strengths and values in service of your purpose—your big picture—you put forth your best, most effective efforts.

We can all make a significant lasting impact, or can choose to, within the sphere of our influence. Sometimes that impact is unintended but desirable, and other times it is unintended and undesirable, so you might as well go for the big outcomes you want. This takes courage.

Courage comes from being clear and unwavering about the impact you want to make. The best way to be clear and unwavering, especially in the midst of an uncertain climate, is to have a plan, deeply anchored in who you are at your core and what is most important to you. People who have that kind of plan take actions they otherwise would not, even in challenging circumstances. They persevere.

The ultimate reward is this: careers they love and sustaining, nurturing relationships. The callings of their hearts, not just their to-do lists, show up each and every day. Even if you do not have your dream job, yet, when you are connected to the purpose behind why you work, you will have a greater ease in getting your job done well.

Are you ready to make your work be as good as it can be in 2012? Use these four questions to start making your plan.

1. What do I most deeply want to feel and experience in my life? Know that, and you know the reason why you do what you do (or what you really want to do, as the case may be). You'll be positioned to make the best use of your time, money and resources. Money is a means to achieve things you want, but not the compelling desire or final outcome. It might represent access to dance classes, or braces or food on the table.

2. What it is I most want others to experience? How does my work allow me to give them this experience? The answer to these questions further clarifies who you are at your core and what you are here to do. It might be a greater sense of connection by joyfully providing a life rich with experiences for your family.

3. How can my work support these experiences? In other words, this is what your life has prepared you do, which may or may not be about money. This is the work you are capable of doing when you are at your best and boldest, because it grows from your signature strengths and is aligned with your core values. If the answers bubbling up make you excited or nervous, you are on the right track.

4. What will give me the courage to reach for more? This is less about pride or hubris, and more about the impact you most sincerely want to have in your corner of the world. It is what will help you find your swagger, your strut. Maybe you intend to be the finest role model for your child. Or maybe you are fed-up feeling overstressed and under-rewarded by a demanding boss, spouse, colleague or friends.

When you get clear and really dig in, things happen. Maybe not always in the time frame you would like or in the way you hope, but they do happen. You get the outcomes you want when you take specific actions that build from your strengths, are supported by your attitude and are rooted in the impact you want to make. That is the best work.

Deirdre M. Danahar is a personal coach who helps busy people with complex lives focus on what matters most. She owns InMotion Consulting and Coaching LLC, based in Jackson. Reach her at [e-mail missing] or visit her website at http://www.inmotioncc.com.