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20 Ways to Find Your Calling - Forbes

Jessica Hagy, Contributor

Using visuals to te ll storie s, jok e s, and truths.

T EC H | 6/26/2012 @ 2:22PM | 188,534 vie ws

20 Ways to Find Your Calling

Not sure what to be when you grow up (whenever that is)? Fret no more. We can figure this out together. Lets get started.

1. Ignore the future, deal with the present. The question, What should I be when I grow up? is wrong. Ask instead, What is next today? People become fat one bite at a time, and we become adults one hour at a time, so what we do today matters.

2. Shop around. Unless you try on the outfit, youll never know if it fits. Do the same with vocations, avocations, hobbies and skills. Youll need to sample every flavor to know your true favorite taste.

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20 Ways to Find Your Calling - Forbes

3. Say yes to odd opportunities. Say yes to the things that intrigue you, instead of the ones that bore you.

4. Find a problem to solve. Being the solution makes your work feel meaningful. Having an issue to work against also gives you a villain to play againstand makes you a hero.

5. Burn your plans. Your life will not go according to plan. Nobodys ever has. So dont worry if you get off track. The track was imaginary anyway.

6. Do not follow someone elses dream. Your parents want you to be A. Your boss wants you to be B. Your friends want you to be C. And society is clamoring for you to be D. You cant please everyone, but if you do what YOU think you should, at least youll be able to sleep at night.

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7. Blend your talents. Instead of doing something that only takes advantage of one skill, create a mash-up of several things you do well. Youll set yourself apart and feel more satisfied with what youre doing.

8. Seek out people you actually like. Its more satisfying to dig a ditch with friends than to design a skyscraper with a team of sociopaths.

9. Give yourself permission to change your mind. Most of us choose our paths around 18. As time passes, you might find new things to do and places to be and people to know, and a few calls you made at 18 will probably need to be overturned.

10. Ask the elderly for advice. Theyve been there, done that, got the AARP card. Youll find that happiness and satisfaction have more to do with love and purpose than dollars and cents.

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11. Roam a library. You never know which book, author, or topic will speak to you from the shelves. You might just find what you didnt even know you were looking for.

12. Seek support, not tolerance. Youre going to need help with anything and everything. Make sure you have people in your corner who do more than just nod and say, thats nice, when you tell them your dreams.

13. Spend time before you spend money. Invest in reading and talking and finding out before you plunk down a ton of money on a degree or a certification or a relocation. You might find that you dont have to write a check to compose your future.

14. Dont confuse a job with a purpose. If you are working to support your family, they are your real bosses. If you are working to further a goal or idea, dont let your paycheck (however plump it is) become an obstacle to it.

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15. Consider your epitaph, not your resume. Thinking long term can help you see both whats vitally important and whats certainly silly.

16. Theres no need to be THE best. Very few people are the very best in the world at anything. Doing your best doesnt mean you have to be THE best. Your best is more than enough.

17. Dont keep score. No one will be at the top or bottom of their game forever, and who you perceive as your competition is a constantly changing cast of characters. Keeping score can become a full-time job if you let it, and thats an awful way to spend a day, much less a lifetime.

18. Change course if you find yourself coasting. Its possible to get stuck on a very easy and vaguely rewarding path, like a cushy or undemanding job. If you feel yourself simply rolling along, its time to switch gears, because coasting can atrophy your dreams.

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19. Be authentically uncool. Stick with what you love, even if others sneer at it. This is also referred to as integrity.

20. Relax. Theres no right answer, but there are thousands of viable options. For more, check out: Nine Dangerous Things You Were Taught In School The Six Enemies of Greatness (and Happiness) How To Be More Interesting (In 10 Simple Steps)

This article is available online at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2012/06/26/20-ways-to-find-your-calling/

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