How to Know When You’re Out of Career Alignment (And 3 Ways to Get It Back)

A career isn’t supposed to drain the life out of you.

It’s supposed to fund the life you’re excited to live.

If your career costs you your peace, your joy, and your energy...

it’s not sustainable.

It’s a warning sign.

If you’re stuck in survival mode, it’s time to pause—and realign.

Why This Matters:

Misalignment doesn’t always scream.

Sometimes it whispers through quiet exhaustion.

It looks like dreading Sunday nights.

It sounds like "It’s fine, I’m just getting through it."

But survival mode isn’t strength.

It’s a signal.

A reminder: you were meant to build a career—and a life—that you actually want to live.

3 Signs You’re Out of Alignment:

• You dread Sunday nights—and not just because of meetings.
• You feel invisible, no matter how hard you work.
• You’re surviving the weeks, not living them.

(Tiny warning signs add up to massive energy leaks.)

3 Ways to Start Reclaiming Alignment

1️⃣ Gut-Check Your Values

It’s easy to lose sight of what matters when you’re buried under expectations, promotions, or just trying to stay afloat.

Take a breath—and ask yourself these three simple, powerful questions:

• What truly matters to me beyond my title, paycheck, or other people’s approval?
• Where do I feel most drained or resentful at work—and what value might be getting stepped on?
• When was the last time I felt proud and energized by my work—and what value was I honoring in that moment?

Values don't disappear.

But if you don't check in with them, it's easy to wake up one day living someone else’s dream instead of your own.

2️⃣ Set One Small Boundary This Week

You don’t have to flip your whole career upside down to start feeling more aligned.

Sometimes it starts with one tiny act of protecting your energy.

Here are three quick boundary ideas to inspire you:

• Time Boundary:

  Protect your mornings or evenings with a non-negotiable start or stop time. (Example: No checking email after 6 PM.)

• Focus Boundary:

  Choose one hour this week where you turn off Slack, Teams, or email notifications and focus fully on one thing that matters to you.

• Emotional Boundary:

  When a meeting turns into a blame game or energy suck, give yourself permission to mentally disengage. You don’t have to carry what isn’t yours.

(PS: VIP Insiders will be getting a simple “Boundary Starter Worksheet” to make this even easier. If you’d love curated career leadership content (plus insider bonuses like this one), you can join us HERE.)

3️⃣ Visualize Your “Fun Life” Career

Creating a career that fuels your life doesn’t mean it’s all sunshine and easy days.

It means you can do the hard things with joy because they’re connected to your bigger why.

Here’s a peek into what my “fun life” career looks like:

🎥 I work hard—and do hard things to grow.

Like stepping in front of the camera, even on the days when I feel tired or wildly inadequate.

But my work is fun because it reflects what matters to me:

• Impact: I get to create real transformation—and practice what I preach as a human who’s always growing.
• Flexibility: I have the freedom to enjoy life with my kids while they’re still growing up.
• Passions: I make time for the things that light me up—playing pickleball, traveling, experiencing the world fully.

A "fun life" career doesn’t erase hard work.

It makes the hard work worth it.

Shared Widsom

You weren’t meant to just survive your career.

You were meant to enjoy your life.

Ready to Move From Survival to Alignment?

If you’re realizing it’s time for a deeper shift, this is your invitation.

WILD 1:1 Career Transformation Coaching is designed for career professionals who are done surviving—and ready to design a career that fuels the life they actually want.

If this feels like your next bold move, let’s connect.
We’ll explore together whether the WILD Career Program is the next powerful step for you.

Let’s find your next right step. ✨

PS (Fun Bravo Fan Bonus):

Are you as avid a Bravo fan as I am? 👀

Every Monday, I drop a quick Real Leaders of LinkedIn mindset reset—drawing fast career lessons from iconic Bravolebrity moments.

This week’s lesson was inspired by Kyle Cooke’s famous reminder: “Summer should be fun!”

Catch it HERE! 🎥