Interview: Executive Coach Stella Grizont (SUCCESS)

You’ve probably heard the reassuring saying that when one door closes, another one opens. Author, executive coach and positive psychology expert Stella Grizont says she hopes her story demonstrates that “you don’t have to actually shut the door. You might be perfectly where you need to be and [may only need to] adjust something within.”

That mindset shift of embracing the detours and seeing setbacks as “setups” encapsulates key aspects of The Work Happiness Method, which is also the title of Grizont’s new book.

Grizont describes going through her own existential crisis, crying in bathrooms at work, suffering from imposter syndrome and feeling unfulfilled—even after completing a master’s degree in happiness (applied positive psychology) and launching her own business.

“Then something clicked,” she recalls. “I realized I was the common denominator. I realized maybe it wasn’t the corporate clients who weren’t creative enough. Maybe it wasn’t the leadership at the startup. Maybe it’s me.”

That realization was the genesis for what is now a thriving coaching program, reaching more than 100,000 people through talks in more than 40 countries. In her book, Grizont describes the process and tools she uses to guide people on a personal journey to find happiness at work. 

She focuses on work because it’s where we spend most of our waking hours, and it can be “the best sandpaper for our growth,” but you can apply her method to any facet of life.

“I’m grateful that my path led me to this,” she says. “I’m just trying to help people avoid the anguish and existential crisis that I had.” Here, Grizont explains the eight inner skills she coaches to help steer people toward growth—and enjoy the process.

Read the full article at SUCCESS.com