Aligning
Your True Self with Your Career: A Fresh Start for the New Year
By
Maggie Mistal,
Andersen Alumnus
As we welcome a new year, many of us reflect on our lives and careers, searching for alignment between who we truly are and what we do each day. When your career
doesn’t align with your authentic self, it can feel like wearing a suit
of armor every day—clunky, exhausting, and far from natural.
One
client of mine shared this exact struggle. He worked in a competitive,
combative industry where survival required him to act in ways that went against
his natural personality. Every day, he felt as though he had to become someone
he wasn’t, just to earn a paycheck. Despite the financial rewards, the toll on
his happiness and authenticity was undeniable.
Stories
like his are why I became a career coach. I understand what it’s like to feel
disconnected from your work. Early in my own career, I tried various roles and
even moved across departments and locations within my company, hoping to find a
better fit. But trial and error didn’t provide the answers I was looking for.
Everything changed when I discovered the Life Purpose Institute. Through their
process, I found clarity and purpose, leading me to become certified and start
helping others do the same. Now, after 20 years of coaching, I’ve guided
countless clients to align their careers with their authentic selves through a
three-step process: Soul Search, Research,
and Job Search.
Five
years ago, I added an incredible tool to my practice: The Five Elements
Personality Pattern Assessment. This unique system has been a game-changer for
my clients, offering profound insights into their personalities and career
paths. Originally introduced to me by a colleague, the assessment is rooted in
understanding key aspects of personality, career alignment, and stress
responses based on one’s birthdate. The results have been nothing short of
remarkable, with clients often describing the accuracy of the assessment as
"uncanny."
What
Makes the Five Elements Personality Pattern Assessment Special?
The
assessment reveals:
- Main Personality: The impression you
naturally leave on others.
- Career Calling: Your unique gifts
and the career path best suited to you.
- Inner Child: How you tend to act
under stress.
Clients
frequently report feeling validated and enlightened by what they learn. Many
experience "aha" moments, gaining fresh perspectives on their goals
and challenges. These insights often replay in their minds long after the
session, helping them move forward with confidence.
Who Can Benefit from a
Personality Pattern Assessment?
- Career Changers: If you’re at a
career crossroads, unsure of your next step, or simply seeking a more
fulfilling path, the assessment offers a unique perspective to guide you
toward your ideal career.
- Graduates: High school and
college graduates often struggle with uncertainty about their future. A
Personality Pattern Assessment can provide clarity and
- Executives/Business
Owners/Managers
Entrepreneurs, employers, managers, and coworkers can also benefit from
these assessments. Understanding a colleague’s personality pattern can
improve teamwork, enhance engagement, and provide strategies for managing
or collaborating more effectively.
- Retirees: Most soon-to-be
retirees I’ve talked to don’t want to go from 100 miles an hour to a
stop. They want active, fulfilling
lives that also nurture and support a healthy lifestyle. The personality pattern offers insights
into the healthy and unhealthy version of the person’s pattern and
suggests ways they can stay in the healthy version.
Why
Start Now?
The
beginning of a new year is the perfect time to embrace change and invest in
self-awareness. Aligning your career with your true self can transform your
life, bringing greater fulfillment, energy, and purpose to your daily work or
activities.
Whether
you’re seeking clarity for yourself, looking to empower a graduate, or striving
to improve workplace dynamics, the Personality Pattern Assessment offers a path
forward. Experience the benefits of a broadened perspective, heightened
awareness, and renewed confidence.
Make
this year the one where you finally align who you are with what you do. Explore
a Personality Pattern Assessment today for yourself or someone you care about,
and take the first step toward a more authentic, fulfilling future.
Maggie Mistal started her career at Arthur Andersen as an audit intern in the Philadelphia office. She worked in the Pittsburgh office in Healthcare consulting, moved back
