3 Steps to Finding More Fulfillment in Your Work

Burnout has become a full-blown crisis in healthcare. As a physician and coach, I hear a common refrain from colleagues and clients alike:

“Remember—it’s just a job.”

At face value, this reminder is meant to protect us. It says:

• Don’t sacrifice your health for work.

• You are replaceable.

• You don’t have to do it all.

  
  

These are powerful and important truths. But the problem is—this well-intended mantra can unintentionally minimize something equally vital: the possibility of finding joy and fulfillment in your work.

For many healthcare professionals, this message creates an internal conflict. You know that work shouldn’t consume your entire identity—but what if you want to feel proud of what you do? What if a part of you wants to feel connected to your career, to make a difference, and to enjoy it?

When we deny the need for fulfillment at work, we risk drifting deeper into dissatisfaction, disengagement, and ultimately—burnout. If we want to prevent burnout in ourselves and in our teams, we must create space for meaning. And that starts with understanding how to rediscover it.

Here are three essential steps to finding more fulfillment in your work, especially if you’re feeling the weight of healthcare burnout.

1. Reconnect with Your Purpose

If you want to feel more fulfilled, you first have to know what drives you.

What is your purpose?

What matters most to you?

What kind of impact do you want to have—and why?

When your work aligns with your purpose, it becomes easier to weather the hard days. Purpose creates resilience. It’s the anchor that keeps you grounded when things feel chaotic.

But sometimes we box ourselves into one narrow version of what purpose should look like. In healthcare, we often believe that purpose has to mean direct patient care, long hours, or self-sacrifice. But the truth is—there’s more than one way to help people. There’s more than one way to lead, teach, or heal.

If you’re unclear on your purpose—or if you feel it’s time to revisit it—I invite you to check out my free Purpose & Priorities Workbook or watch this video that walks through a reflective process to reconnect with what matters most.

Once you have clarity, use your purpose as a decision-making filter. Let it guide what you say yes to. Let it shape how you spend your time. Fulfillment begins when your calendar starts to reflect your values.

2. Let Go of Perfection

In healthcare, many of us are wired to aim for excellence. But somewhere along the line, excellence started to feel like it had to mean perfection.

Perfectionism is one of the biggest traps that fuels burnout. It keeps us frozen, constantly editing, second-guessing, and striving. It tells us that “done” isn’t enough unless it’s flawless. But often, good enough and done is better than perfect and never finished.

Holding ourselves to impossible standards leads to missed opportunities, lack of sleep, and a toxic spiral of self-criticism and shame. It drains joy. It crushes creativity. And it fuels burnout.

True excellence is about consistency, care, and courage—not perfection.

3. Shift to a Gratitude Mindset

This step took me the longest to fully embrace. I used to think gratitude meant being naive or ignoring real problems. I’ve always been someone who notices risks first, sees gaps in systems, and anticipates challenges—and I still see that as a strength. But I also learned that intentionally practicing gratitude doesn’t cancel out realism—it balances it.

Gratitude now shapes how I experience my work. I’ve learned to pause and appreciate:

• My team for showing up.

• My patients for trusting me.

• Myself—for staying committed.

• My family and friends—for being there, even when I’m running on empty.

• The small wins—whether visible to others or not.

Gratitude doesn’t have to be loud or public. It can be a quiet shift in your inner dialogue that opens space for fulfillment. If you’re new to this practice, I encourage you to try my free Gratitude Workbook for Healthcare Workers. It offers small, intentional prompts to help you build this habit in a way that feels authentic.

These three steps—clarifying your purpose, letting go of perfection, and practicing gratitude—aren’t magic. They take effort. They take time. But they’re powerful starting points for rediscovering meaning in your work.

Fulfillment doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing goal. You don’t need a new job, a new title, or a total life overhaul to start feeling better. Even small shifts can reduce the chaos and bring you closer to calm.

If you’re ready to take your next step toward balance and purpose, I’d love to support you.

Reach out, explore my free resources, or join my upcoming masterclass: Pathway from Chaos to Calm.

You don’t have to do this alone—and you shouldn’t.