"Stand still. Let the forest find you…What kind of adult do I want to be?"
—Jerry Colonna
Some people are miserable at work.
Others love it.
Same job. Same company. Wildly different experiences.
One person comes alive while another counts the minutes until they can escape.
We tend to blame the person. Or the job. But what if we’re missing something deeper?
What if the real difference is alignment? the right combination of elements that make work feel energizing instead of draining?
The right work is about combining the right elements so your work generates energy instead of drains it.
The Foundational Elements
I’ve found that six foundational elements determine whether work gives you energy—or takes it away:
1. People
The humans around you shape your experience more than any policy, perk, or paycheck.
Do you genuinely like them? Do they challenge you? Support you? Make you better?
I’ve seen people stay in objectively difficult jobs because they loved their colleagues. And I’ve seen people leave dream roles because the relationships were toxic.
We're wired for connection. When it's missing, everything feels harder.
2. Purpose
Your why.
And no, it doesn’t have to be changing the world.
Your purpose might be providing for your family. Building something lasting. Mastering a craft. Creating beauty. Or simply the satisfaction of solving interesting problems.
What matters is that it resonates with you, not what sounds impressive at a dinner party.
3. Problems
Every job is just a set of problems to solve. The key question is: Do you love solving those problems?
Because, the problems will keep coming back. And good thing, when they stop your job goes away.
Some people come alive tackling technical puzzles. Others thrive on human complexity.
When the fit is right, you jump out of bed because you want to keep solving those problems. It’s not about ambition, it’s about energy.
If the problems drain you, that’s a signal. If they energize you, that’s everything.
4. Power
Call it your superpower. The things you're good at and energized by.
When you're in that zone, time flies. I get lost behind the camera, studying the light, the craft, and the science. It doesn’t drain me. It energizes me.
But if you're stuck doing something you hate and aren’t good at? That’s a recipe for burnout.
I urge patience here. Your superpower isn’t always obvious, and it can take time, trial, and honest reflection to uncover it. But once you do, everything shifts.
This is the most energizing, or depleting, element. Ignore it at your own risk.
5. Culture
Culture is how people behave: what’s rewarded, tolerated, or punished.
It's shaped by values, pace, and expectations.
If you spend energy pretending to be something else to fit in, that’s wasted energy. That’s energy you aren’t spending on the work. No wonder you are drained.
Critical is how your work can harmonize with your life. Can you do what needs doing outside of work too? Can you unplug to recharge? Can you be honest?
6. Compensation
Yes, money matters. But compensation goes beyond your paycheck.
There’s economic compensation: What hits your bank account.
Emotional compensation: recognition, appreciation, feeling like your work matters.
And experiential compensation: learning, growth, flexibility, and meaningful challenges.
All three matter. And the right mix will shift as your life evolves.
Periodic Shifts
Your needs will shift, and your priorities will change. And that’s not weakness. It’s growth. But we have to walk our own path.
Unfortunately, many of us end up following expected paths.
Someone might be a natural artist but ends up in finance because it’s “safe.” Just because you can win at a certain game doesn’t mean you should play it.
One day, you wake up with a LinkedIn profile, a mortgage, and a quiet sense that your life doesn't fit. The elements aren’t linedup.
Facing Misalignment
So what do you do with that feeling?
It’s easy to blame.
“The culture is toxic.”
“My boss is a jerk.”
“I don’t like these problems.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“I’m at a disadvantage…I don’t have those options.”
Sometimes those things are true. Often, they’re excuses.
Usually, discomfort is the price of growth.
From struggle comes strength. Search for good struggle.
Struggle without progress is just suffering.
You don’t have to suffer, that’s a choice.
The first is worth leaning into.
The second is a sign it’s time to change.
Be honest, especially with yourself. That’s the person we lie to the most often.
The Right Combination of Elements
Individually, the elements matter. But it’s the right combination at the right rations that can create something powerful.
Like hydrogen and oxygen: useful on their own, but together, they become water. Life-giving. Essential.
Work is the same. When your elements align—even imperfectly—they create energy. Meaning. Motion.
The perfect job doesn’t exist. Every role involves tradeoffs.
But work doesn’t have to be something you endure. It can be meaningful. Rewarding. Even wonderful.
The right fit for you, right now? That exists.
When it fits, the work is still challenging but it doesn’t drain you endlessly. It energizes more than it depletes. You feel pulled toward it, not just pushed through it.
And when that’s not happening? It’s not always a signal to leave. It’s a signal to investigate. To realign what you can. To grow where needed. And yes sometimes to make a change.
Because the right work, your right work, is out there.
Not perfect. Not easy. But meaningful. And energizing.
Take care. Be good.
—Kelly
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