What do you want?

Ehhhh, for better or worse, I’ve had a few chats recently with folks figuring out their next professional move. These talks inevitably circle around to a deceptively simple question: what do you want to do next?

Knowing what might come next in moments like these can be quite helpful. But clear answers don't come easily for everyone. Actually, I find myself genuinely envious of those who have easy answers!

So I’ve been searching for ways to uncover them.

Perhaps it’s better to step back from “What do you want to do next?” to something more fundamental: What do you want?

Career transitions naturally prompt this reflection. But why wait for a job change? Understanding what we want from work can shape our daily experience, not just our next career move.

And the question reaches beyond work, too. What do you want in your life? Answers to both questions inform and shape each other in ways we don’t always acknowledge.

Dr. David Maloney points out that our nervous system prioritizes safety above all else. “It doesn’t care about meaning, purpose, creativity, connection, or sense of freedom. It doesn’t care about any of that, and nor should it. Really, it’s not what its job is.”

To create space for what matters beyond safety, Maloney suggests being intentional about focusing on, you guessed it, what we want.

This isn’t positive thinking or manifestation—it’s simply “allowing yourself to be honest about what it is that you feel, what you really want.”

Here’s what he suggests:

• Write down what you want in your life. “Challenge yourself to be a little bit ambitious with that, maybe a little bit unrealistic.”

• Spend time daily—even just a few minutes—dwelling in these possibilities.

“The more that you are focusing on what it is you want instead of avoiding danger, the more peaceful we will feel, the more attuned to our own needs we will feel, the more motivated we will feel, and the more alive we will feel.”

This simple practice can change our experience of work.

Knowing what you want sits at the heart of Prudent Congruence in The Good Work Life framework. How can we possibly integrate our professional and personal lives without clarity about what matters in each? And, rest assured, all desires are equally valid—”a job that doesn't interfere with being a parent” carries the same legitimacy as “becoming recognized as an expert in my field.”

Without this self-awareness, any harmony between work and life remains accidental rather than intentional, lucky rather than prudent.

As Maloney reminds us: “And don't let anybody tell you that there's something that you want in your life and it's not the right thing.”

Take a moment with that thought.

What you want is what you want.

Around The Water Cooler ⛲

“What is made possible in your work if you do have “place” trust? What’s getting held back if you don’t?” Me

Documentary: They built and live in an apartment inside of a shopping mall. Haven’t seen it yet. But it’s compelling! Secret Mall Apartment

“Change how you see the world, change the possibilities.” Global cultural vibes in crisis

“That tension – between feeling like your work defines you and being reminded how little power you have – is exhausting. You start off doing work you love, and somewhere along the way, the work becomes a performance of loving it. Once your identity is tied up in the performance, it’s hard to admit when it stops feeling good.” Elizabeth Goodspeed on why graphic designers can’t stop joking about hating their jobs

Are People Bad at Their Jobs....or Are the Jobs Just Bad? Anne Helen Petersen

Thanks for reading. Hit reply and let me know your thoughts.

How To Work is healthcare-focused work design inspiration (from the experts!) to nudge your perspectives and practices into better alignment with the world of work as it is, and away from what it was. Here’s my take on what we’re working through.