What Am I Meant to Do with My Life?

This has to be one of the most asked questions on the planet. Goodness knows I ask myself this very question almost daily. What does it mean to live your calling? Does your passion need to equate to the way you earn a living? Or, can you follow your passions and callings and simply hold down a day job? What if the day job robs you of the presence of mind and energy to pursue those callings on the side?

These are all very sticky questions and certainly cannot be addressed with a one size fits all solution. The first step in answering it for you, however, is to start exploring and gaining some insights into what it is you are really drawn to doing and what holds meaning for you.

I recently read a great little article over at Escape from Cubicle Nation on this very subject. It’s called “Five Easy Ways to Discover What You Are Meant to Do with Your Life”. (And, as an aside, I think the blog name – “Escape from Cubicle Nation” – is about the coolest thing.)

In the article, Pamela Stewart drives home the challenge of finding your calling while living in the corporate walls. Who hasn’t felt like this?

If you are in a corporate job, this problem can be exacerbated, since one of the main things you learn to stay viably employed is to REPRESS your true, honest voice inside that says “I can’t stand this meeting and if I have to stay here one more minute I will destroy the PowerPoint projector with my bare hands!” or “If my knucklehead boss stops by my cube one more time with another thing to do, I will jump on my chair, scream like an ape and throw my stapler at him!”

As the article continues, she presents 5 ideas for finding clues to your calling. I think these 5 ideas are right on the money. Getting into the flow of things you enjoy doing holds the key to discovering what it is you need to be doing more of. There is no “right” answer, only clues that help you solve the riddle of what holds meaning and passion for you. And, over time “what” you are doing to express your calling may change, but the essence of who you are and what you’re about will remain fairly constant (the being “authentically you” piece of the puzzle).

The good news is this sort of exploration is fun — you get to do the things that are enjoyable and hold meaning for you while you unravel the mystery of meaning and calling in your life. And it is definitely a journey, not a destination so there are no deadlines to contend with.

Take the ideas for a spin… and then post some of your experiences here on the blog. I’d love to hear about your adventures and discoveries.