Gold Nugget Coaching

(Continued from previous post.)

Most people who are dedicated CareerBuilders will benefit by re-framing their roles in the workplace to better deal with its new realities. Thus, for example, instead of pursuing a career path that may no longer exist (the traditional concept of “career”), you may want to get clear about your path in terms of following a Professional’s Path or a Service Path—as I described in the previous posting here. But before we talk more about the details of the paths, let’s take a little detour and talk about a related concept.

It’s not so clear to me that you choose a path, but rather that a path may choose you. Let me explain.

I’ve observed in my life coaching and career change coaching that with many people, a career calling comes into play.  I’ve seen this again and again with people who participate in my life- and career-coaching workshops. The other thing that I’ve observed is that a career calling can be very subtle.

So let’s talk about this concept of “career calling”. . . .

Your picture of a “calling” may be along the lines of how it’s often portrayed in the media and by many writers. For example, in a non-religious context, a calling may be portrayed as being like a big magnet, lit by a giant spotlight, so that when you see it you absolutely can’t miss it and it draws you irrevocably to it. OR, in a religious context, a stream of light “from above” and some amorphous but authoritative voice calling the listener to be a Joan of Arc.

However, in my experience, I observe that a calling can be much more like a gentle breeze for most people—it’s very easy to miss. And even if you can “feel the breeze” (that is, identify your calling) you can be very easily distracted from it by just about anything, including your own self doubt.

The secret is in identifying the subtle sensation of the breeze and being able to assess if and when you’re acting against it or even ignoring it. But because of all the “career” indoctrination you started getting imposed on you as a child and throughout school, it’s very easy to miss the career that you are called to.

Identifying your career calling takes awareness and focus. One important clue may be this: when you’re working in alignment with your career calling it can fell like your heart is singing, soaring; when you’re ignoring it or acting against your calling, it can leave you feeling a bit flat, your life feeling dull.

So with choices like whether to follow the Professional’s Path or the Service Path, many people are called to one or the other. (Although that’s not to say you can’t do either or both—as with the example I talked about in the last posting: Bill Gates, the ideal and highly successful entrepreneur whose vision was actually based on a Service Path direction.

Perhaps the worst possibility is to spend your life out of alignment with your calling and only figuring out where your calling lies when you’re at the end of your work life, or not at all.

Wouldn’t you rather have your heart singing and soaring than feeling like your life is flat and dull?

So I suggest you start being more attentive to any “breezes” that may be blowing your way! Notice when something you hear, see, or do causes that little (or big) uptick in your interest or heartbeat.

Well, now that we’ve taken this little detour, next time I’ll tell you more about the Professional’s Path and the Service Path in my next post so you can begin to clarify which one is right for you, in case it’s not already obvious.

 © 2006 Gold Nugget Coaching

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