I like to refer to a person’s career path as their business journey. It looks different for each of us, but ultimately your career journey is made of tough decisions and heartache and hard work and the development of goals and ideas.

It’s the path you follow as you make our dreams come true, as you earn an income, as you develop your livelihood. It’s every job you’ve ever had, including the ones you loved and the ones you quit. It’s an educational experience that teaches you about yourself through working with other people, taking on a variety of roles, conforming to job descriptions, and contributing to projects.

A business journey may define you. Certainly, many people feel defined by their job title. You may say, “I’m a director, I’m a teacher, I’m an engineer.” Often this title is lacking by leaps and bounds and you know you are much more than this title, but at times you feel stuck within it. But truly, you are more than this job title. Your real identity encompasses how you think, how you feel, how you respond, how you solve, and how you contribute. It goes beyond your title in a company and encompasses your whole life: professional, personal, emotional, spiritual, and social. A business journey is the process of moving beyond this title and learning that you encompass a wide range of skills, abilities, ideas and that, professionally, you can facilitate many roles throughout a variety of companies and organizations and that your strengths shine regardless of what your job title is. Part of the process is learning that you CAN do this, and part of the process is learning what you WANT to do.

Working in different environments, for different bosses, opens windows into worlds you didn’t know existed. These will flavor the buffet of options for work and you must be actively aware of which flavors you like and which are bitter. Being nimble and able to pivot from one career to another can be part of a business journey. Being open and expansive to new duties and responsibilities can be part of a blossoming career, no matter how old you are or how long you’ve been in a job.

The Process of the Journey

When I use the word journey, I’m using it very deliberately. My book Once Upon a Place: Forests, Caverns, and Other Places of Transformation in Myth, Fairy Tale and Film centers on what’s normally called the hero’s journey and which I call the World Journey, as the places and obstacles faced are similar around the globe and all people face barriers and must reach within themselves to find their strengths. It’s a book about imagery and metaphor, but in real life you experience a very tangible journey, especially in a career. I enjoy supporting people as they move through these journeys, whether it’s a personal path or a career path, and because I’m an entrepreneur I especially like guiding people through innovative and creative work decisions and navigating through the ups and downs we all face.

Building a thriving business journey involves a number of things including resources, skill development, mindset practice, and more. But I believe the most important is determining what your values are, both your personal values and your business values. These sets of values may differ but you’ll often find some overlap. These values should be the cornerstone of your work and all your decision-making, because they’ll keep you on the right path. It’s easy to get diverted when someone makes a compelling case and you want to jump on board, but you may look closer and realize that the way they operate goes against your values, and maybe even your better judgment. 

Getting in alignment with your team, your boss, your vendors, your mentors, and your customers is at the heart of a thriving and successful business journey. It’s up to you to determine what alignment means and how to find it and keep it, and also how to get out of a situation that doesn’t align with you anymore.

The Journey Should Bring Joy

One key aspect of your business journey is that it brings you joy. Many people may believe that your job is not supposed to be pleasurable; it’s just your paycheck and you can find happiness elsewhere in your private life. 

But I’m here to say that your work is your investment in a big part of yourself: your skill contribution, your innovation, your capacity for learning and growth, your ability to influence the happiness and success of others. If you don’t enjoy it, why do it? 

Happiness is not usually a graded factor in business school or college curricula. But in real life, it may ultimately be the most important factor. I want you to be joyful, to be excited about your work, to be happy on your business path. There will be setbacks and obstacles, but that’s what makes it a journey. Improving yourself, growing, and delighting yourself as you grow as a business professional are valid goals and should be included in your criteria of “good business.”