So many of us work hard. Genuinely, exhaustingly hard. But how many of us are working hard at something that actually means anything to us personally? Meaningful Work Isn't One-Size-Fits-All Here's the thing about "meaningful work" - there's no universal definition. What feels worth it to me might feel completely empty to you. It's personal. It has to be. For someone, it's the feeling of helping another person through a hard moment. For someone else, it's making a genuine dif

Are you one of the 80% of disengaged workers globally? (Gallup, 2026) Right now, you might not even be able to answer that with any confidence. But the stats say there's a high chance you are — and if you're nodding along already, that's worth paying attention to. I've experienced disengagement myself. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. What I remember most is how quietly it crept up on me — I didn't even have a name for what I was feeling until I was well and truly in it.

I am an example of this trade-up. It wasn't graceful. It wasn't planned. It hit me twice, at two very different points in my life. The First Hit The first time was before I fell pregnant with my first child. I experienced severe burnout — the genuine, stop-you-in-your-tracks kind. It forced me to stop and really question what mattered. (I talk more about this in Episode 1 of The Inkling Effect Podcast, if you're curious.) With enforced time off to think, I started asking myse

I fell into this trap. For years, my identity was so intertwined with my work that I genuinely believed I was living. In reality, I was giving myself completely away — to my work, my team, my projects, my organisation. I gave up my happiness, my health, and time with my family... and I did it willingly. Nobody forced my hand. I handed it over, piece by piece, because it felt like what a good professional was supposed to do. That's when my "workquake" happened.

There's a quote I keep coming back to, and it's deceptively simple: "Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy." Simple. Obvious, even. And yet, for so many of us - quietly radical. At some point, most of us stopped asking whether our work makes us happy. Instead we started asking whether it pays enough, whether it's stable enough, whether we'd be foolish to leave it. Whether we should just be grateful. I know this, because I lived it.

How many times are you going to let January slip by before you actually do something about that career change you've been thinking about? I've navigated two major career changes myself. Both terrifying. Both absolutely worth it. The second took nearly a decade—a slow, uncomfortable pivot from 25 years in Product Strategy and Innovation into career coaching. The first happened faster, leaving behind my chosen under graduate focus for a career in Technology.

You've built a successful career over 10, 15, maybe 20 years. You've climbed the ladder, earned respect, built a reputation. People know you as "the lawyer," "the senior specialist," "the group manager." Your LinkedIn profile is impressive, your business cards are crisp, and your elevator pitch is polished. Then something happens.

Have you ever achieved everything on your career wishlist—the impressive title, the salary bump, maybe even that corner office—only to find yourself asking, "Is this it?" If you're nodding along, you're not alone. And more importantly, you might be dealing with what psychologist Tim Kasser calls "junk values."

There's something I need to share with you. Over my decade of coaching, I've noticed a pattern that breaks my heart: brilliant, talented people who feel completely stuck in their careers. They know they're meant for something more, but they can't see a clear path forward. They're disillusioned with work, yet paralysed by uncertainty. Sound familiar? This calling to help became so strong that I knew I had to find a way to reach everyone who needed it – not just those w

We've all been there – it's Sunday night, and your feeling like you're about to face a root canal rather than go to work on Monday. If you're nodding along while reading this, congratulations! You might just be experiencing the classic symptoms of career burnout.

In the maze of our career, sometimes we find ourselves adrift, sailing through the waters of accidental career choices. Let's confront this.