Here are some questions to get you thinking about that larger perspective, plus a sample Trello board below that helps you add them into context:
- Where do your interests overlap? Let your imagination run wild. Do you love animals and also science? Good at writing and like to travel? Analytical and like coaching others? There’s no end to the number of combinations that could lead to your dream job. (Just make sure someone wants to pay you for that combination.)
- What have you always loved to do? Again, it’s important to be completely honest with yourself and not hold back when asking this question. For many people, knowing what their purpose could be in their career connects to what comes easily to them and/or what they once really loved to do as a child. Did you used to build cities with your Legos? Counsel your dolls? Win every Monopoly game? Use your answers as cues for your inner voice may be trying to tell you to pursue.
- Who do you want to help? It is easy to get caught up in the navel-gazing that is contemplating your life’s purpose. Consider instead that for most people, it’s the impact they want to have on the world or the help they hope to offer others that brings meaning to their daily lives. Perhaps there’s a cause you want to advance, or a group of people that really means something to you. Searching for a deeper motivation outside of yourself is another great clue to identifying your professional purpose.
- Where do you lose track of time? Do you remember the last time you felt truly in the moment? Maybe you were cooking, gardening, or talking on the phone with a friend. Perhaps you were running, writing, or teaching. Whatever it is that makes time fly for you, don’t write it off as just a hobby! How could you incorporate elements of that activity, even if it’s as simple as being present with that single task, into your work?
- How can you find meaning where you are? Lastly, searching to align your work with your passions may mean a complete career change for you…but it doesn’t have to. It could be as simple as exploring new roles in your company, or even changing your approach or speaking to your boss about how you work in your current position.