If you have found yourself in the middle of the work day, staring blankly feeling boredom creeping up, and making you wonder if this is what you are really meant to do, you are not alone. Most of us go through periods of self-doubt at different points in our lives and wonder if what we are doing is really our true calling or if we missed a turn somewhere or shied away from a challenge at some point in our journeys.
Fear of failure can be paralyzing to most of us, we think, not only about how hard it will be to bounce back but also about what others will say or think about us. Projecting success is imprinted in our minds since we are babies and many of us at some point have settled for something that is just “good” but not the “amazing” we are hoping for, as long as we can show how successful we are.
To stop for a while and reassess where we are and if we are as happy as we want to be, can help us find a different path or reaffirm we are on the right track to feeling fulfilled with what we are doing. Keeping in mind a few tricks will help make the best of a deep look at what we do and find the path and pace we need to find where we truly shine.
(Source: Pixabay)
Ask yourself, what do I want to be when I grow up?
Not only kids need to ask this question, we are changing and growing all the time and there is nothing written in stone that says you have to stay in your current field, career or job, no matter what your age. Experimenting and making mistakes are not only for your young self, finding your true calling requires moving in one direction, stopping, regrouping and reassessing. The more grown up we are with more responsibilities makes it difficult to do big experiments but it is important to still find a way to find our true calling.
Moonlight to follow your dreams
Many times we are constrained by responsibilities that will make us settle for a job or a career that pays the bills but may not be fulfilling. And while the right time to make a drastic change may be farther along the way, following your dreams or your passion as a side project can help us build the confidence and experience we need to take the plunge.
Don’t be afraid to quit
We are taught from infancy that winners are not quitters, but sometimes that can lead us too far down a path we can’t get off later. Moving from idea to idea without ever fully committing is not a good way to build confidence, but stopping something that is not making us happy, taking the learnings and moving on, can be the start of success in a different area.
(source: Pixabay)
Balance Satisfaction with Joy and Viability
Most of us need to balance following our dreams with being able to provide for ourselves and our families. If on top of having the income we want, we find something we love to do, we definitely feel we have hit the jackpot. But there is much to say for having the satisfaction that comes from doing something we feel uniquely skilled to do. Your true calling should make you feel you are the best to do it.
Try again and again, but don’t repeat yourself
Remember the often repeated definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Finding your true calling can take many tries, but we should always stop and view our effort with a critical mind, change it up and try again. It is good to remember that there are always multiple ways to accomplish something.
Don’t lose sight of the greater good
Being laser focused on achieving a goal is a good personality treat to have, but it is as important not to lose sight of the people around you and how you can take them with you on your journey. You can strive to do good things for yourself while also doing good things for others. Looking at success in the distance can be blinding, make sure you don’t lose sight of making a good impact.
(source: Pixabay)
Live up to your own expectations
For most of us, it is hard to separate what we do from what others expect from us. We naturally want to make the people we love proud, but we have to be careful not to absorb their ideas of what we should be doing as our own. Spend time understanding what fulfills you, once you are sure it will be evident to all who care about you and their support will come.
Above all, drive your own story
The most important thing is to own up to your own decisions, changes in course, mistakes and successes along the way. If you are not deciding for yourself someone else will be doing it, slow down every now and then and ask how happy you are. If you are not where you want to be, start plotting a change, it doesn’t matter if the change happens slowly or suddenly as long as it is the change you want.
As important as finding our own true calling, helping others by being supportive, understanding and non-judgmental can create a multiplying effect with everyone around you.
