Finding Your Current Calling
Date Posted: November 18th, 2009
On Monday I put up the “Really Really Short Guide to Doing What You Love“. In this post I’ll expand on those three steps some so you get a better feel of how to put them int practice.
Part 1: The Questions
What’s Your Favorite Thing to Do in Your Spare Time?
What do you do in your spare time? Watch TV? Read? Play golf? Spend time at your favorite non-profit? Play sports? Play music?
Would you like it if you could do it for several hours a day every day?
What Have You Secretly Always Wanted to Do?
Look back on your life and think about those times when you wished you could actually make a living doing some specific thing. What was that thing? Do you still sort of wish that was the case?
What makes you happy?
Does anything in particular fill you with lots of joy?
If You Could Retire Today What Would You Do?
I think I’ve heard or read this questions about a 1000 times in relation to figuring out what my ideal career is. It’s even mentioned in “Office Space”. Methinks its usefulness is a bit overstated since not all things you would do in retirement translate well to paid work. Just because you’d watch more TV and travel doesn’t mean you want to put in the effort to review a bunch of TV shows or start a travel blog. Still it can point you in the right direction and get you to consider turning your fun into service.
At the End of Your Life What Do You Want to Be Known For?
Do you want to be known as an excellent athlete, teacher, musician? How about as someone who’s helped a lot of people lead better lives? How about someone who has influenced others to live frugally? How about someone who loved life?
Part 2: The Preparation
Brainstorm Ways To Provide Value
How can you do the things you love in such a way that provides value to others?
If you like playing the piano, would you enjoy accompanying an instrumentalist? What about joining a dance band?
If you like teaching kids, could you be a tutor? Would you enjoy volunteering at a local boy scouts or girl scouts chapter?
Don’t feel too bad if you can only think of non-paying ideas. Also don’t worry if you don’t yet have the skills necessary to charge for your services. If you volunteer enough you’ll soon have the skills to start charging.
Reflect on your List
After brainstorming you’ll have a sizable list of things you could possible do with your life. Take a look at them and imagine yourself living a few of them. What would your life be like? Is it appealing? What does your gut tell you?
For a while I considered starting my own music shop. It was a good idea in theory, but when I seriously considered it and envisioned what my life would be like if I followed through, I realized that it just wouldn’t work for me.
Ask for Feedback
Be careful who you ask feedback from. Some people will shoot you down if you suggest anything that’s out of their realm of experience. Preferably ask for feedback from people who’ve done or tried to do what you’d like to do. You’re more likely to get accurate information from them.
Part 3: The Action
With some things there’s no way to tell if they’ll work for you until you try. Find an inexpensive way to get the experience you need so that you’ll know whether or not your current direction is the right one for you.
If you’re thinking about being a blogger, start blogging now. There’s no fee to get started.
If you’re thinking of starting your own retail shop, get a part time job at a similar one.
If you’re thinking about becoming a tutor, offer to tutor some people for free.
If you’re thinking about becoming a doctor or a nurse, volunteer at a hospital. And while you’re there make it a point to get some hands on experience. (Not just paper pushing.) You could also volunteer at a nursing home.
If you’re thinking about becoming a psychologist you could be a part of an listening program.
There’s virtually no career in the world that you can’t try out part time.
Hopefully this has given you a better idea of how to go about finding your current calling.
