You know how it feels to work on a project that doesn’t excite you. Deadlines loom, the work drags, and you dread sitting down to complete any task associated with it. Worst of all, when you’re finally done with it, you don’t feel any strong sense of accomplishment or reward. You’re just happy it’s finished. Even if you don’t know why you aren’t driven by this work, you do know that it’s absolutely not for you.

I’ve had many conversations with prospective and new clients about the process of choosing a coach. Lots of my clients have spoken to coaches who don’t have credentials, and who charge a ton of money without giving prospective clients an understanding of how they will benefit.

A few years ago, a friend who is a talented makeup artist shared a surprising reflection with me: about 90 percent of her time wasn’t spent doing makeup.

As an independent professional, she had so many other things on her plate. And even though her love for makeup artistry was what got her into the biz in the first place, it often had to take the back seat. Especially during those first few years of starting and growing her business.

In our careers, it’s normal to crave more—more recognition, more responsibility, or more money and benefits. Many people also crave more meaning from their jobs, especially if they feel like they’re stuck in a rut or that their company doesn’t value the same things they do. If you feel like the work you’re doing isn’t meaningful, take some steps to make a change. While making big career changes can feel daunting, there are ways to make small changes along the way, easing an eventual transition to work that feels important to you.

When I started my business, one of the first things I did was write a blog post explaining what coaching is. There are a lot of misconceptions about coaching, not to mention people who have never even heard of coaching as a profession. Now, with two-and-a-half years of experience as a business and career transition coach, I’ve discovered how fulfilling my job can be, and I’ve worked with clients who come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds and fields. Most of them have one thing in common: they want to live, work, and earn on their own terms.

Here’s something you may not hear from other coaches: I’m not for everyone.

I might curse during a session. I will definitely be direct and straightforward. Whether you’re a client, a friend (or both), or a family member, it’s in my DNA to tell it like it is. I don’t sidestep the tough issues or try to hide what I’m thinking. I always say what needs to be said. It’s part of who I am, both as a professional and a person, but it’s also how I believe I can best help my clients.

Have you ever tried going through your day or week without prioritizing? It can be chaotic, especially if you’re an entrepreneur who is juggling lots of different things at once. When you assign each task equal importance, everything feels urgent. You can’t possibly complete every task, so you fall behind, and your list gets even longer. Meanwhile, the things that really need to get done aren’t getting star billing on your list. Not even close. They’re somewhere down there, but by the time you get to them, if you get to them, you’re ready to call it a day. The cycle of anxiety and chaos starts all over again before your head even hits the pillow.

My friends and colleagues have called me a business unicorn, a manifestation fairy, and the most connected person they know. I’m very grateful for the compliments, and it’s true that I love connecting people to opportunities and making introductions among clients, colleagues, friends, friends of friends...you get the idea.

Even when you’re running or starting your own business — something you designed from the ground up — it’s common to feel like you only have so many options. Despite the fact that you call all the shots, you can lose sight of this once you’re in the thick of the day-to-day or when you’re feverishly preparing your launch. Even if you’re in the very preliminary stages of planning your new venture, you might think that you have to do things a certain way. But why?