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You took that job ready to give it your all. Now, you give it maybe 70%, but it’s not a bad job, and you tell yourself it’s ok. You’ll put feelers out and maybe something better will show up. MAYBE.

I just finished a great book called Reboot by Jerry Colonna. The founder of Kramer Leadership, Rob Kramer, recommended the book and his suggestion was spot on. Before Jerry began coaching entrepreneurs and CEOs, he worked in investment banking. He brings a Buddhist sensibility to his coaching and focuses on coaching the person, not their title.

Just as shooting stars are best glimpsed peripherally, we must rely on others to help us see how our disowned positive and negative attributes are determining our conscious lives.

Denise: If you don’t love your work, there are specific things you can do or change if you know where to focus. When I start working with clients it's often hard for them to really dig into what those areas may be. There's a general sense of helplessness and frustration. Often, when someone starts working with me, they're at the point where they feel like they have to quit their job—and that’s the only option they have. That’s a big, disruptive step.

Betterup is one of the national companies for which I coach. Their program allows me to support the emerging leaders in large nationally known companies so that they can become more confident and successful. Betterup also offers me amazing resources, courses, and now a podcast so I can continue to learn and improve my skills.

I just read a strong, well written, thoughtful and helpful article on how to actually uncover your values, identify what makes them important and then what to do, so you actually use this information to make work, work for you.

The year is coming to a close and for many, that means performance reviews. I know, all the hard work, dedication, commitment gets boiled down to how much of a raise (if any) will come in 2020. That’s important, but you can leverage this time with your lead to gain valuable insights that will pay off far into the future. Don’t squander this chance to really learn how you’re perceived, how your contribution is measured and what skills you need to master.

How would you complete this Mad Lib if you were writing the story of your search for the perfect job? If you’re lucky, have courage and are clear about what you want, then maybe this could be your story:

Some companies have regular, scheduled skip-level meetings that offer employees exposure to upper management. I have a few clients where that is the norm, but far more of my clients seldom have this opportunity. If you don’t have scheduled skip-level meetings, there are still ways to make yourself known to your boss’s boss. Melissa Rafoni’s article in Harvard Business Review outlines 10 of them. Her suggestions are a good reminder of the things you should do anyway and she couples them with ideas on how to put these 10 things into practice.

If you are dissatisfied with this aspect of your work, it can color how much you enjoy your career. One of my clients was unhappy at work, but upon reflection, he recognized that his complaints were centered on value misalignment. Now instead of looking for a new job, he is working with his employer to bring his values into his job.