Welcome to the second episode of my brand new show, The Stress-Less Career Show. Each week, I will be talking about career, how do we manage stress in our career, and how do we be more strategic about it. So tune in or keep reading below for this week’s dose of The Stress-Less Career Show!
This month, we have been talking all about purposeful planning. Last week, we focused on setting intentions in your career and why it is so important when you start planning for your year and beyond. This week’s episode is also related to that big picture view we started talking about last week which might be intimidating, but it is so important in order for you to be able to move forward and hit the ground running when you start planning. Today, we are talking about the difference between a purpose and a calling.
I believe every single person has one purpose. It doesn’t have to be this crazy specific purpose. Your purpose could be anything that speaks to you. Your purpose may be that you help people in need, you help women, or you help spread the word about a cause you care about like women’s reproductive health.
What is your purpose?
Your purpose is an overarching reason for why you were put on this planet. Your calling is how you choose to fulfill that purpose. My purpose, for example, is to help people experiencing stress, anxiety and overwhelm. I could do that in a large variety of ways. I could be a personal assistant and help people relieve stress by taking some tasks off their to-do list. I could be a therapist or a college counselor. All of these callings could satisfy my purpose.
Each person has one purpose but they also have an infinite amount of callings. This difference between calling and purpose is why I'm a firm believer that it's not the end of the world if you switch jobs. In fact, it's probably a good thing because it means you are growing. You have more than one calling out there to pursue.
What I want you to do right now is take this time to think about planning for 2019. Revisit the last episode of The Stress-Less Career Show and think about your intention for the year. Then, I want you to start thinking about your purpose. What is the big overarching reason you are here on this earth?
Defining your purpose will take some time and reflection. Do some journaling to connect to your purpose or talk to your friends and ask them what they think you are good at. Remember that your purpose doesn’t have to be specific, so go with wherever your reflection takes you. Once you figure out your purpose, start brainstorming all of the callings you could pursue. You don’t have to know all of them! Start with coming up with five to ten callings that speak to your purpose. If you are already in a career calling that speaks to your purpose, that is great! Use this list to find even more ways you can fulfill your purpose.
All of this reflection is going to be so important as we keep working creating a plan for this new year. Stay tuned for next week on The Stress-Less Career Show where we talk all about the importance of planning and how you can really move forward on your plans for this year!
If you are having trouble figuring out your purpose, you’re in luck! I’m bringing back my free online training, How to Find Work That Fills Your Wallet AND Your Soul, TOMORROW on Wednesday January 23rd at 1 PM. During this interactive webinar, you will learn how to step into your dream career and know if your next job is right for you! You can learn more and register here. Hope to see you there!