Description

‘The big decisions in life don’t come with a map. Think of this book as a
compass to help you navigate toward success without sacrificing happiness’
Adam Grant, bestselling author of Think Again

A GUIDE FOR CREATING A LIFE OF MAXIMUM FULFILLMENT AND PURPOSE, BY THE CAREER COACH WHOSE APPROACH HAS HELPED THOUSANDS REORIENT THEIR CAREERS AND LIVES

So many of us have done everything ‘right’ for our careers; picked a ‘career destination’, got the grades, made the 5-year plan, checked all the boxes, worked hard and climbed the ladder, and now? You’re miserable. Every career milestone has made you feel emptier, and you’ve finally arrived at your ‘destination’ to find that you’re stuck, unhappy and burned out. You’re an ‘Underfulfilled Overachiever’.

In the last decade, career coach Megan Hellerer has worked with hundreds of UOs, from CEOs and bestselling authors to award-winning scientists and activists, helping them get unstuck and discover meaningful, purpose-driven work. Directional Living comes from Megan’s innovative paradigm, one based on the premise that a fulfilling, purpose-filled career and life is built by following your inner sense of direction, not pursuing a fixed destination.

Both a philosophy and a practical guide, Directional Living is a revolutionary new blueprint that will help you find the work you are uniquely well-suited to do in the world, move from misery to meaning and transform your career on the way to transforming your life.

‘We often work really hard to build careers that we don’t really want. Directional Living will help you avoid that fate’
Kim Scott, bestselling author of Radical Candor

Publisher Review

The big decisions in life don’t come with a map. Think of this book as a compass to help you navigate toward success without sacrificing happiness. Drawing on her extensive experience as a coach, Megan Hellerer offers an unusually relatable and practical guide to the pursuit of excellence, meaning, and joy — Adam Grant * #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking * Extrinsic motivation screams so much louder than intrinsic motivation. Capitalism is so good at rewarding what we can measure, terrible at rewarding what we value. As a result we often work really hard to build careers that we don’t really want. Directional Living will help you avoid that fate! — Kim Scott * Author of Radical Respect and Radical Candor * I wish I had been given this book when I was 18 years old. If you’re burned out or wondering “Is this all that there is?” Megan Hellerer’s book is brimming with practical and actionable guidance to take you from feeling without a compass to finding direction — Dr. Samantha Boardman * Author of Everyday Vitality * I’m blown away. This book only looks like a well-behaved self-help book. In fact, it’s radical-nearly anarchic. Lucid, practical, effective, and beautiful, Directional Living upends all the common wisdom about ambition, struggle, and building a good life. Try it, and transform — Virginia Heffernan * author of Magic and Loss * Hellerer debunks myths that undergird a success-driven society, including that difficulty has inherent moral value (“There’s no gold star or fulfillment bonus for extra struggle”), while outlining a positive, individual-focused approach that prioritizes happiness over certainty. It’s a smart, refreshing look at what it means to build a satisfying life * Publishers Weekly *