Directional Living - by Megan Hellerer (Hardcover)

About the Book

"So many of us have done everything right for our careers. We got the grades, made the 5-year plan, climbed the ladder toward our goals; from the outside, we are the very definition of success. Why then do we find ourselves burned out, losing our ambition, consumed by impostor syndrome, and ultimately unfulfilled? [Here] Hellerer presents a new way of thinking about our lives, one that turns away from the voices telling us what a good life 'should' look like, and instead relies on cultivating our own inner navigation. Through Hellerer's ... blueprint, we can get unstuck in our careers or even transform them, move from misery to meaning, and find the work we are meant to be doing in the world"--

Book Synopsis

A guide for creating a life of maximum fulfillment and purpose, by the career coach whose approach has helped hundreds re-orient their careers and lives

The traditional approach to career is failing us. Determine what you want to do with your life, it says, and methodically make your way toward that destination. We're taught that once we get there, no matter how fraught and fatiguing the path is, we'll find fulfillment. This is the 5-year plan, it's setting the "right" goals, it's one of the first questions we ask kids: what do you want to be when you grow up?

The problem is this advice simply doesn't work. It's outdated and based on a world that doesn't exist anymore, if it ever did. And, it's created a generation of Underfulfilled Overachievers, who have leaned in, climbed the ladder of success, did everything they were supposed to do, and yet feel burned out and unfulfilled.

In the last decade, career coach Megan Hellerer, herself a recovering Underfulfilled Overachiever, has worked with hundreds of these women, 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. Through this revolutionary new blueprint, we learn to find the work we are uniquely well-suited to do in the world, move from misery to meaning, and transform our careers on the way to transforming our lives. Directional Living is both a philosophy and a practical guide to creating not just a great life, but your great life--one full of genuine purpose, meaning, ease and authenticity.

Review Quotes

"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

A thought-provoking and absolutely essential book for libraries that have robust self-help collections.
--Library Journal Starred Review

About the Author

Megan Hellerer is a career coach and the founder of Coaching for Underfulfilled Overachievers. She has led hundreds of women, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to transform their lives by transforming their careers. After checking all the traditional boxes of success--graduating at the top of her class from Stanford University and spending eight years as a Google executive--and still deeply unhappy, she quit her great-on-paper job with no plan. Now her mission is to provide others with the support and guidance that she needed when she herself was struggling. Megan has been featured in New York, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and The Times. She lives with her husband and daughter in the Hudson Valley, New York.