Directional Living: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life

Career coach Hellerer talks of her personal history of how, after doing all the right things—the exceptional grades, the right Ivy League school, taking the right courses, and obtaining a high-profile successful career—she still experienced panic attacks in a bathroom at Google. An explanation of what an underfilled overachiever follows and how the destinational world has made many people unfulfilled and miserable in their lives. Her book includes multiple examples of what directional living is, how it compares to destinational living, and how both can affect one’s happiness. Steps to get out of the destinational living loop are separated into phases: “Recognizing the problem,” “Aligning,” “Releasing,” “Orienting,” and “Iterating.” Each phase is discussed with examples and decision-making rationales.