Feeling off lately? Are your days busy but not meaningful? That’s often a nudge to do a self-check. Alignment isn’t a perfect destination. It’s an ongoing practice of noticing when your choices match your values. Regardless of whether you are currently navigating the bustling environment of university life, recently graduated and embarking on the journey of your first postgraduate position, or immersed in the complexities of the corporate world with years of experience under your belt, these simple signs can help you gauge your life balance.
1) You’re always tired—even after rest.
Chronic fatigue that sleep can’t fix often indicates that energy is being spent on the wrong goals. Your mind gets exhausted from forcing itself through work that does not inspire you. When work aligns with purpose, but it instead feels satisfying, even though you still get tired from effort.
2) You dread Mondays (and most weekdays).
Occasional dip? Normal. Constant dread? It’s a flag that your tasks don’t connect to what you care about. For example, someone who works in corporate dreads the beginning of another week not because they are just tired but mainly because they chose that position only for financial reasons. Your purpose matters the most if you are seeking fulfillment.
3) You’re achieving—but not fulfilled.
You’re ticking boxes, collecting titles, and still asking, “Is this it?” A corporate employee gets promoted and even receives a salary raise, yet the excitement fades within weeks. They secretly wonder if they’re climbing a ladder that’s leaning against the wrong wall. Fulfillment requires meaning, not just milestones.
4) You feel split between who you are and what you do.
If you edit your personality to fit every room, your work may drift from your values. For example when at school, you are the serious student, or maybe the “serious professional” at work. All while hiding your creativity because it is not valued.
5) You procrastinate on the important stuff.
Avoidance can be a compass: what you resist may be what matters—or it may signal that the goal isn’t truly yours.
6) Your relationships feel transactional.
Purpose thrives in connection. If you’re too busy to be present, your life balance likely needs recalibrating.
7) You’ve stopped being curious.
When you’re aligned, you naturally seek growth. A flat curiosity is a clue you’re off-path.
A 5-Minute Self-Check
- Name your top three values. Are they visible in your calendar this week?
- List your energizers vs. drainers. Can you shift 10% of your time toward energizers?
- Ask yourself: If I were brave, what small step would I take this week?
- Schedule one “purpose rep” (a 30–60 minute task that serves your deeper goal).
- Seek coaching insight—a mentor, coach, or trusted friend to reflect on what you can’t see.
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how,” Friedrich Nietzsche.