How to Discover What You're Actually Good At - The 12 points of pleasure at work.
A simple framework that helped me go from career crisis to career clarity (without changing fields).
It was late 2022, when I had a job that, despite high-paying & home office, made me live in constant high-alert mode, throwing me into tears every time I pressed "log off".
There's a sort of pain that I experienced that I could never really describe despite my best efforts: something about having your real talents put aside, while being under-resourced and under-supported, to deliver what's being asked — from people who are clueless about what they themselves are looking for.
The problem when you're in this place — disconnected from work you actually enjoy — for too long, is that you might start losing your sense of self. Your work identity. You don't know which direction to aim when there are no clear parameters for what has to be accomplished — besides other people's opinions.
Which is the perfect recipe for having you question your own self-worth. "Will I ever be able to do anything good with my life?" — I asked out loud, multiple times, at some point of my downhill journey.
That's when I came to the mistaken conclusion that, despite working in the field for 9 years at that time, I wasn't cut out for it. I was in the wrong line of work, and I had to change my direction entirely.
I was ready to go back to university and pursue a psychology degree — until I came across this book: The Career Workbook, from The School of Life.
The Career Workbook
For the first time, in almost a year that felt like an eternity, I started considering that maybe it wasn't the work that was the problem, but the environment where I was executing the work.
The book helped me create my own criteria for fulfilling work—what makes me thrive, what challenges excite me, and what to seek out.
Misalignment can make us doubt everything we know about ourselves. The only antidote is deeply understanding who we are, which enables us to translate our inner compass into meaningful decisions and directions in the external world.
Many exercises in the book transformed how I saw myself, but one in particular helped me see myself through a new lens and gave me the vocabulary to articulate the pain I had been feeling but couldn't express. This was the exercise on the 12 points of pleasure at work.
The 12 points of pleasure at work
“We understand quite a lot about what people do, but not so much about that there is to enjoy about given occupations - and because of this silence, we struggle to know where our working tastes fit.”
As kids, we're asked 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' and while we might give answers like I want to be a pilot, a vet, or tv show host, we never really think about what in this kind of work we might actually enjoy.
Without self-awareness, our interests can be highly influenced by the collective perception of a certain occupation, shaped by media narrative (Hello ‘The Devil wears Prada’), perception of status, and money expectations.
And the 12 points of pleasure at work leads us to reflect about what in the work that might give us pleasure and gratification, at least a minimum to keep us engaged.
Instead of asking ourselves who do I want to be? We can start getting to know ourselves by understanding our pleasure points, and then find the jobs which we can have the most pleasure.
So, next time you’re looking for your next occupation or job position, instead of looking only to the technicalities of it, look at it as a constellation of pleasure points. This is how you find an occupation that makes you say “I love my job”.
12 points of pleasure at work - Self-assessment
I took the information in the workbook and how they describe each point of pleasure, and turned it into a quick self-assessment test to make it more fun and interactive for you.
The point here is to rank in order of preference from 1-6 what are the pleasures that speak the loudest to you. This then becomes your inner compass.
Rate each statement from 0-2 points based on how much it resonates with you:
0 = Not at all like me
1 = Somewhat like me
2 = Very much like me
Add up your points for each category to identify your top sources of pleasure at work.
1. The Pleasure of Making Money
□ I get excited when I correctly guess what people need before they ask for it.
□ I notice inefficiencies everywhere and think about how they could become business opportunities.
□ Making profit feels like an intellectual challenge - solving problems others haven't noticed yet.
□ I enjoy understanding clients' needs better than they understand them themselves.
□ Generating money through my insights and solutions gives me genuine satisfaction.
Total Score: ___/10
2. The Pleasure of Beauty
□ I notice when things don't look quite right - misaligned buildings, poor font choices, cluttered spaces.
□ As a child, I loved activities like carefully wrapping presents or decorating my schoolwork.
□ I appreciate when everyday objects are well-designed and harmonize with each other.
□ I get more excited than others when spaces (like hotel rooms) have great aesthetic details.
□ A nicely set table or beautiful presentation makes me genuinely happy.
Total Score: ___/10
3. The Pleasure of Creativity
□ I love the moment when all possibilities are open - like having all the LEGO pieces spread out before building.
□ I often imagine how my favorite songs, stories, or experiences could be improved or different.
□ I enjoy thought experiments: "What if we tried this approach?" or "How could this be better?"
□ I'm always trying to find more effective ways to convey information or solve problems.
□ People mistake my love for better solutions as simply wanting novelty for its own sake.
Total Score: ___/10
4. The Pleasure of Understanding
□ As a child, I asked lots of questions because I wanted good reasons for why things worked.
□ I love when chaotic information suddenly makes sense through a clear, simple explanation.
□ Writing or reflecting helps me think more clearly and reduces my anxiety.
□ I get frustrated when people don't explain things properly or leave mysteries unresolved.
□ I enjoy news reports that go behind the scenes to explain the "why" behind events.
Total Score: ___/10
5. The Pleasure of Self-Expression
□ As a child, I loved when adults asked for my opinion and I had something to say.
□ I get frustrated when people don't listen - I want to make them pay attention.
□ I love sharing things I'm passionate about with others and seeing their reactions.
□ The idea of being interviewed or writing about my experiences appeals to me.
□ I feel most fulfilled when I've genuinely "touched someone's soul" with my words or ideas.
Total Score: ___/10
6. The Pleasure of Technology
□ I'm fascinated by how things work - machines, systems, even simple tools like pencils.
□ I love asking "What's the essence of this problem and how could it be solved more efficiently?"
□ I think we're still at the beginning of solving human needs through better technology.
□ I appreciate when tools are perfectly designed for their function, whether high-tech or simple.
□ I see technology everywhere, not just in computers but in well-designed socks or furniture.
Total Score: ___/10
7. The Pleasure of Helping Others
□ As a child, I loved being asked to help with tasks because it made me feel useful.
□ I enjoy it when friends tell me what's bothering them, even if I don't have perfect solutions.
□ Work feels meaningful when I know it makes a difference in people's lives.
□ I like hearing about the positive consequences of my work in others' experiences.
□ In games or stories, I was drawn to rescue scenarios and helping characters in trouble.
Total Score: ___/10
8. The Pleasure of Leading
□ I liked being in charge not for status, but for the chance to implement my ideas.
□ When others panic, I find myself getting more focused and clear-headed.
□ I enjoy it when people turn to me for advice and want them to trust my judgment.
□ I believe leadership should be earned through competence, not just given.
□ I dislike people who actively try to avoid responsibility when it's needed.
Total Score: ___/10
9. The Pleasure of Teaching
□ When someone makes a mistake, my instinct is to help them understand the right way.
□ I love the feeling of turning someone's confusion into confidence and mastery.
□ I enjoy filling in gaps in other people's knowledge when they're genuinely interested.
□ I remember teachers who recognized when I was really trying, even if I got things wrong.
□ I have to be careful not to come across as patronizing when sharing what I know.
Total Score: ___/10
10. The Pleasure of Independence
□ I love being alone with my thoughts - boredom rarely troubles me.
□ I get excited by stories of people who quit conventional jobs to follow their own path.
□ I prefer forming my own opinions about books, art, or ideas rather than following crowds.
□ I recoil from guided tours and group activities where I can't set my own pace.
□ An evening alone gives me energy because I can think and plan without interruption.
Total Score: ___/10
11. The Pleasure of Order
□ I like everything to have its proper place - chaos makes me uncomfortable.
□ I get annoyed when people tell stories by jumping around or forgetting important details.
□ As a child, I was careful about making my work neat and organized.
□ I enjoy sorting things into categories and reducing complexity to simple, clear systems.
□ I'm fascinated by how individual elements can be organized into larger, coherent patterns.
Total Score: ___/10
12. The Pleasure of Nature
□ I can't stand being in buildings where the windows don't open - I need fresh air.
□ As a child, I loved getting close to animals and imagining what their lives were like.
□ I enjoy outdoor challenges, especially when the weather isn't perfect.
□ Watching nature documentaries makes me want to be there experiencing it, not just observing.
□ I find being in natural settings energizing rather than just relaxing.
Total Score: ___/10
Your Results
Rank your top 6 pleasures by score:
______________(Score: ___)
______________(Score: ___)
______________ (Score: ___)
______________ (Score: ___)
_______________(Score: ___)
_______________(Score: ___)
Your top six results, can point you to the direction of the precious zone where your talents and pleasures meet the need of the world.
Discovering work that feels fulfilling is a journey. It is not straightforward but a journey that requires lots of experimentation. As we evolve, what once felt fulfilling might no longer satisfy us — that's why the answer to the question "who do you want to be?" is more of an ongoing discovery rather than a one-time definition.
What happens when you move according to your inner compass
Fast forward three years after that day I first opened that book, I never changed careers, but I changed my format of work, clients, and boundaries, so it all points to one direction: matching as much as possible the pleasure points that speak the loudest to me: understanding, creativity, self-expression, and helping others.
And what seemed impossible then has become my reality now. Feedback that comes with the words: "you're so valuable to us."
Warmly,
Nat
PS: I wrote a follow up on this post to answer many questions people shared in the comments. Here’s the link:
The 12 Points of pleasure at work - Part 2 (Q&A)
At first, I didn’t want to write this article. “Who am I to give advice to people on what they should do with their life?”, I thought to myself.
I'm curious to know what results show up for you in the self-assessment. Let me know in the comments!
If you want to find your voice and build a brand that reflects who you are and your unique body of work, check out to my other newsletter: Diary of a Brand Therapist.
Read my latest piece there:
This framework really hit home. My top pleasure points were Independence, Self-Expression, Leading, and Teaching. It’s like a mirror of why I do the work I do as a psychologist and writer. Grateful for the clarity this brought. It’s rare to find something so simple yet so revealing.
Thank you so much for sharing this post with us, this exercise. I’ve just done it and it helped me a lot. It actually confirmed what I was thinking. I knew that I was good at Design, but I was afraid to make the leap and I’m still afraid to not land a job, to finish jobless by changing my career path. So I gave up design and stayed stuck in my primary field, law. But I’m not fulfilled, I’m not happy. This exercise helped me a lot. Thank you so much. I’ll do my best to do what I’m good at, to land the job of my dreams, I’m going to have what it takes to be a great designer and work at the company I love the most “Apple”.