Discovering your true calling is one of the most important aspects of your professional career. And I would dare to say that it is also one of the most difficult challenges. Students, during their training programs, study numerous disciplines. But in general, they tend to spend very little time (or not at all) discovering what their calling is. The fact that young people, recent graduates, or those who have been in the labor market for a few years do not know what their calling is, can be considered quite logical. However, the vast majority of people who are in more advanced stages of their professional careers do not usually know their vocation either. I would even say that most professionals end their careers having had numerous responsibilities but without having discovered their true calling.
In a recent interview with Gallup talent specialist Dean Jones, he recommended asking yourself the following 5 QUESTIONS TO DISCOVER YOUR CALLING.
- IS IT ALIGNED WITH YOUR TALENTS? Jones affirms that it is almost impossible to have a calling if it is not totally aligned with your talents. In this sense, it is essential to know what your talents are. In my post 5+1 way to discover your talent I gave you clues to know them. Find out which activities you are good at, and which activities you learn quickly and tend to have great results. It will be the first step in discovering your true vocation.
- IS IT CONSISTENT WITH YOUR VALUES? Jones advises keeping your values in mind, that is, being clear about those aspects that are fundamental to you. For an activity to be your calling, it must be fully aligned with your values. Take time to think about what is really important to you, what you value above all else.
- DOES IT HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OTHERS? A calling, according to Dean Jones, must have a positive impact on others. It must include a clear contribution to others. Jones affirms that callings are never destructive, they are always productive. Therefore, you must think about what you want your contribution to be, what difference you want to make, and what legacy you want to leave behind.
- DOES IT MAKE A UNIQUE DIFFERENCE? Callings, according to Jones, must be based on having a unique insight. A different way of seeing and understanding things. To see things that most people do not see, to think differently from others.
- IS IT EXCITING AND FULFILLING FOR ME? The fifth attribute of an authentic calling has to do with the fact that the calling must be exciting, it must fill you and leave you fully satisfied. Before developing the activity you are anxious and you imagine developing it. And when you do it, you enjoy it to the fullest. And after doing it, you usually feel fully satisfied. Therefore, to discover your true vocation, think about those activities that really fulfill you and leave you totally satisfied.
Now you have 5 clues, 5 questions that can help you discover your true calling, and as the American journalist Oprah Winfrey says:; “Living your best life is discovering what your calling is. Your real job on Earth is to discover what you were meant to do and find a way to do it.”
