Are you working for money or meaning? Is is possible to find a position that connects the two? Miki Agrawal says you need to start by asking yourself the right questions (http://www.inc.com/miki-agrawal/find-your-calling.html). The main questions you need to ask are, “What am I really good at?” and “What can I be passionate about for a really long time?”
What am I really good at?
This can’t be your hopes, like a desire to be a golfer on the professional tour without the necessary skills, but the compliments you hear over and over from friends and coworkers. Are you good at organizing? Creating a team? Finding workable solutions faster than those around you? This is no time to be shy or humble. If you are good at teaching others, and love doing it, how can you translate your current skills and experience into a career of teaching what you love? Some additional questions you may want to ask are, “What tangible skills do I have that others don’t have?” and “What skills has someone (other than my mom) complimented me on?”
What can I be passionate about for a really long time?
Most of us have realized that success doesn’t happen overnight. We need to find something we can feel positive about diving into every day, something that gives us a sense of purpose despite the ups and downs. Here are a couple of Agrawal’s fill-in-the blank starters: “The last thing that I’ve done that I’m proud of is…” and “The communities, people, places or issues that I care about supporting are…”
Now you need to put together your findings to create a career that interweaves your best skills with your passions. Do you need any additional training? What would you need to do to connect the dots between the two in the next few months or years? What’s stopping you?