Career Pathfinding

Here's Something You Can Actually Work With

Most career advice is rubbish. Either it's so vague it's useless ("follow your passion!") or so complicated you need a degree in strategic planning to figure out where to start.

You've probably tried the personality tests, the values exercises, the vision boards. Maybe you even attempted one of those complex diagrams with four overlapping circles that's supposed to reveal your life's purpose.

How's that working out for you?

I stumbled across Mark Manson's piece on finding the perfect career last week, expecting more of the same. Instead, I found something refreshingly practical. No mystical nonsense about "finding your calling." Just three straightforward questions that help you figure out what to do next.

Here's why his approach works and how you can use it to stop feeling stuck.

The Problem With Most Career Advice

We've turned job hunting into rocket science. Take ikigai, a simple Japanese idea about having good reasons to get up each morning. Somehow, we've transformed it into complex diagrams with four overlapping circles. We've managed to complicate joy itself.

The truth is, most people don't need more complexity. They need clarity about what actually matters to them and a practical way forward.

Mark's Three Questions (That Actually Work)

Mark suggests the perfect career sits at the intersection of three things:

• What you value

• What you're good at

• What the world values (will pay for)

Think of it like a tree. Your values are the roots, hidden but vital.

Your skills form the trunk, visible strength that supports everything above. What the world pays for? That's your canopy, reaching out to serve others.

Simple. Practical. No spreadsheets required.

What Do You Value? (Not What You Think You Should)

Most people start with "What am I passionate about?" and then wonder why they can't make money from watching Netflix or playing with their dog.

Wrong question.

The better question is: What problems keep you awake at night? Not your personal problems, the bigger stuff. The things that make you think, "Why doesn't anyone else care about this?"

It could be how people struggle to say what they really mean. Perhaps you notice how many conversations miss the point entirely. Or you can't understand why so many people accept feeling miserable as normal.

What conversations do you find yourself having repeatedly? The topics you return to, the advice you give friends, and the issues you passionately discuss even when no one asks.

I kept talking about communication, not just the words people use but how they connect with what they're trying to express. That insight became everything I do now.

Your Natural Abilities (The Ones You Don't Even Notice)

What do people ask you for help with? Not just at work but in life. Do friends come to you when they need someone to really listen? When they're stuck and need a fresh perspective? When they want to feel better about themselves?

What feels effortless to you but exhausting to others? These are often your most valuable skills because you don't realise how rare they are.

I can sit with someone's confusion without trying to fix it immediately. That felt normal until I realised most people want to rush in with solutions or change the subject. This ability to hold space became central to everything I offer.

Where the World Meets You

Here's where people get stuck. You know what matters to you and what comes naturally, but how do you make it work in the real world?

Reframe what you're offering. People don't always know they need what you're naturally good at. But they know they want better communication with their partner. They want to feel less stuck. They want to find their direction.

Instead of saying, "I'm brilliant at strategic planning," you might say, "I help teams stop going in circles." Rather than "I'm passionate about personal development," try "I help people figure out why they feel stuck."

Make it about what they need, not what you love doing.

Look for the gaps. Where is the world under-served? Most career advice focuses on finding your passion. But passion fades when things get difficult. Values sustain you through the tough patches.

Your Path Forward

You don't need more complexity. You need honest answers to three questions:

1. What problems do you care about that others ignore?

2. What comes naturally to you that others find difficult?

3. How can you frame this in terms of what people actually want?

Start there. The path reveals itself as you walk it.

Most people know more about the direction they want to go in than they think. They need permission to trust what they already sense and a practical way to move forward.

Think seasons, not destinations. Like nature, careers have cycles. What serves you now might evolve. Your values stay consistent, but how you express them can change.

Trust small steps. You don't need the perfect plan. You need the next right move.

The world needs what you have to offer. But first, you need to understand what that is and how to talk about it in ways that matter to the people you want to help.

What problems keep you thinking long after everyone else has moved on? What feels effortless to you but seems to exhaust others? Sometimes, talking it through helps the picture become clearer. Feel free to message me, I'd love to hear what resonates.

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I'm Sarah, The Positivity Pathfinder. I work with you to develop realistic optimism, acknowledging difficulty without toxic positivity. After all, life is not about pretending everything's wonderful; it's about finding meaning and growth within whatever circumstances exist.

It'd be great to work together. Get in touch hello@sarahgatford.co.uk