What if you didn’t have to settle for just getting by at work? What if you could actually love your job, and that joy spilled over into every part of your life?
That’s the question I explored in this week’s episode of What’s Possible with Dr. Arlene Pace Green, organizational psychologist, executive coach, author, and the founder of Enelra Talent Solutions. Arlene’s book and podcast, You Deserve to Love Your Job, are built around a simple but radical idea: that we spend too much of our lives at work to treat it as something we just have to survive.
Arlene has led talent management and organizational development for Fortune 500 companies, taught as an adjunct professor, and now runs her own leadership development consultancy. She’s also one of those rare people who embodies what she teaches, grounded in optimism, guided by faith, and genuinely joyful about helping others thrive in their work and life.
Our conversation was a reminder that finding satisfaction at work isn’t about luck or landing the perfect job. It’s about choice. It’s about self-awareness, honest reflection, and the courage to make small shifts that align your work with your purpose.
Loving Your Job Starts with Self-Awareness
When I asked Arlene where loving your job really begins, she didn’t hesitate.
“It starts with looking inward,” she said. “You have to understand yourself, your strengths, your values, what lights you up, before you can create the kind of work experience that fulfills you.”
That may sound obvious, but most of us skip this step. We jump straight to fixing what’s external, changing roles, switching companies, chasing new opportunities, without pausing to understand what’s underneath our dissatisfaction.
Arlene introduced a simple but powerful framework she calls “Look In, Look Out, Look Forward.”
- Look In: Reflect on who you are, what you value, and what you need from your work.
- Look Out: Explore your current environment and how it aligns (or doesn’t) with what you want.
- Look Forward: Take small, intentional steps toward the career and life you want to create.
What I love about this model is that it brings clarity without judgment. It’s not about quitting your job tomorrow or waiting for a dream opportunity to appear. It’s about understanding what’s working, what isn’t, and how to close the gap between the two.
As Arlene said, “There’s always a gap between where we are and where we want to be. But the beauty is that gap is moveable. We get to choose what we do about it.”
Mindset Matters More Than You Think
If there’s one theme that came up again and again in our conversation, it’s mindset. Arlene believes that how we think about our work often determines how we experience it. The stories we tell ourselves, about our abilities, our limitations, or what’s possible, shape how we show up every day.
She shared the story of a client who was feeling stuck and disengaged in her job. Instead of rushing to change roles, Arlene encouraged her to reframe her mindset. Together, they explored what parts of her job she still found meaningful. She started focusing her energy on those areas, and, almost immediately, her job satisfaction improved. That shift didn’t require a promotion, a title change, or a new boss. It came from within.
This aligns so deeply with what I see in my own coaching practice. The best leaders and professionals aren’t those with perfect circumstances, they’re the ones who practice self-leadership, who can pause, reflect, and choose how they respond to challenges.
Closing the Gap Between Where You Are and Where You Want to Be
At some point in your career, you’ve probably felt it, the gap between where you are and where you wish you were. Maybe your work has lost its spark. Maybe you’re succeeding by all external measures but still feel unfulfilled. Maybe you’re ready for something new and don’t know what that looks like yet. Arlene encourages leaders to view that gap not as a failure, but as an invitation.
“The gap is a signal,” she said. “It’s information. It’s your inner voice asking for alignment.”
Closing that gap doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with reflection and small, consistent steps: having an honest conversation with your manager, carving out time for a passion project, or even reframing your daily mindset around what you can control.
What struck me most about Arlene’s perspective is her realism. She doesn’t romanticize loving your job. She acknowledges that some days will still be hard, that financial needs, responsibilities, and external pressures are real. But she also challenges the belief that fulfillment and practicality are mutually exclusive.
As she put it, “It’s not all or nothing. You can take small steps toward joy and meaning without throwing everything else away.”
One of Arlene’s strongest messages is that we need to build reflection into our routines, not just when things go wrong, but as a proactive habit.
Regular self-reflection helps you notice when you’re out of alignment before burnout or disengagement set in. It allows you to course-correct and make changes while you still have energy and curiosity.
She suggests setting aside time each quarter, or even once a month, to ask yourself:
- What parts of my work feel energizing?
- What feels draining or misaligned?
- What small change would make my experience even 10% better?
The key is honesty. Loving your job doesn’t mean loving every part of it, it means understanding yourself well enough to navigate the trade-offs intentionally.
The Interconnection Between Work and Well-Being
Something that came through beautifully in this conversation is the way Arlene views work as part of a larger ecosystem of well-being.
“We can’t separate who we are at work from who we are in life,” she said. “When work feels meaningful, it enhances everything else, our energy, our relationships, even our health.”
Research supports this: people who find purpose in their work experience higher levels of engagement, resilience, and overall life satisfaction. Conversely, when our work feels misaligned or meaningless, it can impact our mood, stress levels, and even our physical well-being.
That’s why loving your job isn’t a luxury, it’s an essential part of living a full, flourishing life.
Arlene and I both agree that the best work experiences are those where people feel like they’re growing, contributing, and being seen for who they are. And that starts with giving yourself permission to expect more, to believe that joy, purpose, and fulfillment at work are possible for you.
Navigating Transitions with Courage
Many people come to coaching during times of transition, career changes, leadership promotions, or personal turning points. Arlene calls these moments “the neutral zone”, the space between what was and what’s next.
So often, we rush to fill the space between endings and beginnings. But Arlene encourages leaders to pause instead, to reflect, to explore, to ask questions like:
- What is this season teaching me?
- What do I want more of in the next chapter?
- Who do I need to become to step into that?
This process takes patience and grace, but it’s how transformation happens. The people who navigate transitions well aren’t the ones who have it all figured out, they’re the ones who stay open and curious long enough to discover what’s possible.
When Things Fall Apart (and How to Rebuild)
Ilene and Arlene also touched on harder topics, job loss, uncertainty, financial anxiety. These are real experiences that shake our sense of identity and worth. Arlene’s advice in these moments is both compassionate and empowering:
“Your job isn’t your purpose, it’s one way to express it. You can still live your purpose wherever you are, even in seasons of transition.”
That perspective reframes work from being the source of meaning to being a channel for it. It also reminds us that our value doesn’t disappear when our title does.
When setbacks happen, Arlene suggests focusing on two things: stability and reflection. Stabilize what you can, financially, emotionally, practically, and then use the time to reflect on what you truly want next.
“Don’t rush to fill the space,” she said. “Wait for the right thing, and in the meantime, keep showing up for what matters most.”
If there’s one thing Arlene wants listeners to take away, it’s this: you don’t have to overhaul your entire life to start loving your job. Start small. Adjust one conversation, one mindset, one habit. Focus on what brings you energy, and make space for more of it.
Over time, those small changes create momentum, and that momentum leads to transformation.
“Joy and satisfaction at work don’t come from one big leap,” she said. “They come from a thousand small choices made with intention.”
Five Practical Steps to Help You Love Your Job
Inspired by Arlene’s insights, here are five actions you can take right now to move closer to a career that feels aligned, energizing, and meaningful:
- Look In: Spend time reflecting on what motivates you, what drains you, and what you value most. Try journaling or working with a coach to deepen your awareness.
- Look Out: Examine your current environment. Where are there opportunities to grow, connect, or contribute differently?
- Look Forward: Imagine what “loving your job” would look and feel like. What one step could you take this month to move in that direction?
- Reframe Your Mindset: When frustration arises, pause and ask, What else could be true here? Often, changing perspective opens up possibility.
- Celebrate Progress: Recognize every small win, the tough conversation you had, the new boundary you set, the moment you chose curiosity over complaint. Progress fuels motivation.
My Reflection
After my conversation with Arlene, I found myself thinking about how often people, especially high achievers, assume that dissatisfaction at work is just the price of success. But what if that belief is exactly what holds us back from thriving?
Arlene’s message is both practical and hopeful: that we have more agency than we think. That by looking inward, being honest about what we want, and making intentional choices, we can create careers, and lives, that feel truly meaningful.
Loving your job isn’t about perfection or constant happiness. It’s about alignment. It’s about doing work that reflects your values, uses your strengths, and contributes to something larger than yourself.
So the next time you find yourself feeling stuck or restless at work, take a breath. Ask yourself what’s working, what’s not, and what small shift you can make today. Because you really do deserve to love your job, and that love can change everything
