Before You Change Careers, Ask Yourself: What Gives Me Energy at Work?
When you're thinking about changing careers, what questions do you ask yourself?
What am I good at? What skills have I developed over the years? What do I enjoy doing? What job title do I want next?
These are all useful questions.
But there's another question we don't ask nearly often enough:
What do I actually need from my work to feel engaged and fulfilled?
Before deciding that you need a completely new career, it can be helpful to understand what gives you energy, what depletes you, and what conditions allow you to do your best work.
Because sometimes, the answer isn't "I need a new career."
Sometimes, it's "I need a different experience of work."
What gives you energy—and what depletes you?
Instead of only asking yourself:
"What job do I want next?"
Try this reframe:
"What do I want more of—and less of—in my working life?"
It starts by asking yourself these very important questions:
What kinds of work make me feel engaged and curious? What leaves me feeling drained? What kind of environment brings out the best in me? What kind of relationships at work help me thrive?
These questions can reveal something important about what you actually need from your work.
Three psychological needs that influence how we experience work
As I researched this topic, I came across the work of psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan and their Self-Determination Theory, a broader theory of human motivation that has also been extensively applied to the workplace.
Their research identifies three basic psychological needs that, when supported, are associated with stronger motivation, engagement and well-being:
Autonomy — I have some choice and control over how I work.
Competence — I feel capable, effective and able to grow.
Relatedness — I feel connected to and respected by the people around me.
I find this particularly interesting because these needs can help us understand why some work experiences leave us energized and engaged, while others leave us depleted.
You can be highly competent at your job but have very little autonomy. Or you might have plenty of independence but feel disconnected from the people around you.
You can be successful on paper and still feel that something is missing.
Try this 20-minute career reflection
Put aside about 20 minutes. Grab a sheet of paper and a pen, and find a quiet space where you feel comfortable.
Then reflect back on the last six months at work.
Draw two columns.
First column: What energizes me?
Think about moments when you felt engaged, motivated, curious or genuinely interested in what you were doing.
You might notice that time passed quickly, that you felt more like yourself, or that you finished the activity with energy still left in the tank.
Write down everything that comes to mind.
Think beyond your job description. Consider:
Activities and tasks
Projects
People and relationships
Your work environment
Opportunities to learn or create
Moments when you felt useful or made an impact
Don't overthink it. Just capture what comes to mind.
For me, one example is coaching. Seeing someone's progress and happiness gives me a real sense of joy and energy. There's something about meaningful connection, helping someone move forward and seeing an impact that energizes me.
Now look at your list.
What patterns do you see?
Second column: What depletes me?
Now think about moments when you felt mentally exhausted, bored, frustrated, disconnected or drained.
Depletion isn't always physical tiredness. You might feel mentally foggy, emotionally flat, irritable, restless or simply like you have nothing left to give.
Again, write down what comes to mind.
Think about:
Tasks that consistently drain you
Types of meetings or interactions
Your work environment
Your workload or pace
Lack of autonomy or control
Anything that leaves you feeling disconnected from yourself
In my previous job as a Marketing Director, I was feeling constantly drained by the amount of time I was spending in meetings and the lack of time for personal recovery.
I actually liked my job.
The problem was how much of my week was spent doing something that depleted me.
I eventually realized that it wasn't necessarily the work itself that was the problem. It was the way my work was structured.
Sometimes, we don't fully recognize what gives us energy until we experience what drains us.
That's why it's just as important to understand what depletes you as it is to identify what brings you energy.
Look for patterns—not just individual tasks
Once you've filled out your two columns, take a step back.
What do you notice?
Perhaps you consistently feel energized when you're:
Working independently
Solving difficult problems
Leading or mentoring others
Creating something new
Learning
Having meaningful conversations
And perhaps you're consistently depleted by:
Back-to-back meetings
Constant interruptions
Having little control over your schedule
Repetitive work
Office politics
Lack of recognition
There are no right or wrong answers.
Someone might be energized by solving difficult problems, leading people and creating something new.
Someone else might thrive when working independently, doing deep research and working in a highly structured environment.
It's personal.
The goal isn't to create a perfect career profile. It's to become more aware of the conditions that help you feel engaged and the ones that consistently work against you.
You may not need a new job—you may need a different experience of work
This is where I think the exercise becomes particularly interesting.
The insight isn't necessarily:
"I'm in the wrong job."
It might be:
"I actually like my job. But I dislike spending 80% of my time in meetings."
That's an important distinction.
Sometimes, all we need is a small shift in our current role.
Perhaps it's taking on projects that give you more autonomy and independent work. Having fewer meetings. Moving into a role with less travel. Changing teams. Working under a manager who gives you more freedom.
Or perhaps the patterns you've uncovered do point toward a bigger career change.
Either way, you now have more information to work with.
Take this insight into your next career decision
Once you understand what energizes and depletes you, you have something valuable to take with you into your next career decision.
Instead of simply asking:
"Am I qualified for this role?"
You can also ask:
"Does this role give me more of what I now know I need?"
That's a very different question.
It helps you make a career decision based not only on what you're capable of doing, but on how you actually want to experience your working life.
A question to take with you
As you consider your next steps in your career, you may want to consider this question:
What do I want more of in my working life- and what do I want less of?
You might be surprised by what you discover.
Wishing you a happy discovery!
Warmly,
Laura