I Found My Career Calling, and You Can, Too

When we hear others regale stories of "finding their calling," a (small) part of us wants to roll our eyes. They make it sound so, well, easy — as if a friendly stork just dropped a perfectly packaged mission in their lap. But you shouldn't rely on destiny to deliver your true passion. In reality, it takes strength of will to forge your own path and self-awareness to get out of your own way. After all, we get so caught up in the daily work rituals we’ve created that we often don’t look beyond them to dream again. I didn't discover my passion by waiting around for fate. Rather, I deliberately opened my mind to new opportunities and ambitions — and then turned those into a new career. How I Discovered My Calling In 2000, I was flipping through the pages of SUCCESS Magazine when I came across a feature about Coach U. At the time, coaching in my industry — real estate — was a fairly nascent idea. But I was so intrigued that I flew to San Diego to attend a workshop. Afterward, I happened to be on the same airport shuttle as Sandy Vilas, former CEO and co-founder of Coach U. We got to talking about a longer program he offered, and I signed up as soon as I got home. Through the coaching course, I gained additional tools for talking with people that could help them success. But looking back, I realized I've always been drawn to teaching and leadership. In school, I was student president of my class and co-captain of the baseball team. Later in life, I ran organizations in our small town in Minnesota. And in the work world, I always gravitated toward keeping an eye on others. In fact, I'd been informally "coaching" my agents since about 1992. After the course, I officially started coaching my real estate agents at work, and within 12 months, we saw increases in production, cooperation, and stability. Meanwhile, the word “coaching” was gathering buzz. People were starting to shift their mindset from “managing” to “coaching” and were seeing great results. So I started to make the shift, too. I became the resident coach of my firm, helping everybody from agents to other managers discover their own passions. Getting to the Starting Line Finding your calling is a unique process — you may discover it in the most surprising way. But here are four starting points that should open your life up to more possibility. 1. Get to know yourself. Knowing thyself is the first step toward finding your calling. Get to know when and where you’re most productive, what makes you tick, who you trust and why, what recharges your battery, and what gets you excited in the morning. Keep a passion diary so you can express your innermost thoughts and feelings free from judgement, and try to dedicate 10 minutes every morning to reconnect with yourself. 2. Zoom out. When people get excited about a new idea or movement, they sometimes dive into opportunities headfirst — without considering how they fit into their big-picture plans. In the process, they turn their passion into a job, rather than a long, fulfilling career. Pan out from the immediate opportunity. How could your passion become connecting tissue, weaving all your skills and experiences together? How could this passion help others to grow, add to your community, or create income? Don’t be scared to think big. That’s how you’ll know which small moves to make first. 3. Get comfortable with discomfort. You'll never find your passion by hanging out in the no-fly zone. The best opportunities aren't going to be easy. Becoming my own boss to help others succeed was tough. It's vastly different than turning up at work and being told what to do — it takes personal risk and the energy to step out from the status quo. It’s important to remember that if it were easy, everybody would be doing it. Get comfortable with that unease that accompanies a passion project. Recognize that when an opportunity feels scary, it's a good thing. 4. Partner up. Just because you’re following your passion doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. There’s strength and creativity in numbers; finding other passionate people to collaborate with could energize your mission. Partnerships allow people to grow faster, get more done, and create a greater impact on the world. People are often trepidatious about working with others, especially when it involves something they're truly passionate about. They may be scared that someone else will take credit or control, or perhaps they’re worried about losing friendships. These are risks. To reap the rewards of a great partnership, you may have to go through a couple "business breakups," but those experiences will teach you important lessons, too. You could be closer to making a career out of your calling than you think. Open yourself up to learning about yourself and your skills. Say goodbye to the safety of the status quo and start dreaming again. Who knows where you’ll be this time next year.