Sometimes, following your true calling in your career is the only option.
When I was in Year 12 of high school, a wave of realisation swept over me and my friends.
We had to decide what we were going to do with the rest of our lives. And decide very soon.
Sure, we had picked subjects that reflected our general desires and interests and pointed some of the directions our career paths could take.
But most of us were still unsure of the true path.
Then I was handed a pamphlet on the Broadcasting course offered at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), and everything seemed to click.
I could speak, I could write, and I liked performing. Perhaps a career as a broadcaster could be a go – I could even become a TV or radio journalist.
A few months later, the day before I was all set to go off on school leavers, I auditioned for the academy and got in.
Life seemed sorted.
But a teacher I greatly respect took me aside and said, “that’s not creative enough for you.”
Too flush with success, I ignored his warning.
We can’t run from who we are; our destiny chooses us
There’s a scene in the 1998 Matt Damon movie Rounders where his character is talking in a bar with his law professor.
Damon’s character Mike McDermott has just failed to show up for an important legal test, and let down his teammates, including his girlfriend.
But instead of admonishing him, Professor Petrovsky asks him about poker, a game of chance and skill which Damon’s character is a passionate expert in but is afraid to follow his true calling.
Listening closely, Petrovsky then tells a story about how he was supposed to be a Rabbi, but despite his talent for religious study he chose to become a lawyer, a decision that broke his parents’ hearts, but saw him follow his true self.
Then the following exchange takes place:
Mike McDermott: If you had it to do all over again, knowing what would happen, would you make the same choice?
Professor Petrovsky: [Smiling] what choice? The last thing I took away from the Yeshiva was this: we can’t run from who we are, our destiny chooses us.
Following your true calling
After WAAPA I became a journalist and spent five years working around Western Australia before travelling to London to continue my career.
Though I loved the job and all it taught me, it wasn’t fulfilling.
It was only when I started to write that I felt I was me, the real me, establishing Red Platypus and then publishing my debut novel Locust Summer.
Part of me used to think that if I had a time machine, I would go back and stop myself enrolling at WAAPA and study creative writing and literature instead.
That I would listen to my teacher’s wisdom from the start.
But that’s not possible. And I’m glad it’s not.
Because facing the choice – to stay in journalism or do my own thing – was something I had to face up to on my own and realise there was no choice.
I am who I am.
And I hope you are too.
But how can I follow my true career calling?
Sometimes it can be difficult to understand what we REALLY want to do in our career. And yet if we consider that we spend more than 90,000 hours working in our lifetime, it is worth investing some thought in what we do for our job.
If you’re stuck, take a moment to tune into your intuition. Your intuition is that feeling in your belly you get when you’re doing something you love. Perhaps it will come to you in a dream. Perhaps you get that feeling when you’re doing a hobby you enjoy that you’d love to do more often.
If one of the things you love the most is listening to your friends and offering them advice, then perhaps a career in psychology or life coaching is for you.
For me, nothing could beat the feeling I got when I sat down and wrote creatively. Which is why I turned it into my profession!
The key is to dream big. Ask yourself – if money wasn’t a factor, how would I love to spend my days? What gives me the most joy? It is often here you will find your true career calling.
Don’t worry about the money for the moment – if you are passionate enough about something, and genuinely want to help people, you will frequently find the money will follow.
Embrace the creative
Society often tells us that we shouldn’t follow certain career paths because they won’t pay. “You want to be a writer? It’s impossible to make money as an author!”
Or, “You want to be an actress? Very few make it in Hollywood!”
From a young age, we are conditioned to believe the term ‘starving artist’, and we are trained in the school of thought that you can either be creative or rich, but not both.
It’s time to put these ideals aside and remind ourselves that there are plenty of people who are both creative and very rich. There are many artists who have followed their artistic passions and made very successful careers out of these enjoyments.
Remind yourself that society has conditioned us to think in a certain way but we can reject these beliefs and choose our own (more positive!) mantras.
Pay attention to what others say you’re good at
Just like the teacher I ignored, the friends and family in our lives are often better at pointing out our strengths than we are. If only I had listened to my teacher who acknowledged I was very creative and a brilliant writer – I could’ve become an author much sooner on my career journey.
Perhaps your friends keep telling you you’re great at budgeting – why not become a financial advisor? Or maybe you’re frequently told how beautiful your home is and that you have an eye for home decorating – why not become an interior designer?
Listen to what others tell you you’re great at and see if one of these strengths has the potential to open a career pathway for you.
Be open to trying new things
Sometimes we miss out on opportunities because we are not open to them when they come knocking. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things.
When Carmen and I were living in Ubud, we were asked to present a talk at the co-working space Hubud. We talked about our journey into becoming ‘digital nomads’, launching our business, and how it had supported our travels.
Afterwards we had so many people approach us and say how inspiring we were, and ask us for advice on how they could do it too.
What we didn’t realise until we presented that talk was how many people wanted to live a similar life to ours. So many others wanted the freedom to choose what they wanted to do with their days.
It was a lightbulb moment for us.
It opened doors and made us realise that we could potentially continue to speak on this topic and inspire others to choose the life and career of their dreams. We could help others to gain more freedom and happiness in their lives.
My point is – if we weren’t open to this opportunity then we might have never discovered that we were so passionate about the topic, nor that so many people were interested in learning from us.
One step closer to following your true calling
Does this article feel overwhelming? If you’re not sure where to begin to uncover your true career calling, take it one step at a time.
What is ONE thing you can do today to focus on your true passion?
It could be:
- Meditating on what makes you happy
- Visualising your dream life
- Asking a friend what they think you’re good at
- Writing a list of the things that make you happy
- Saying some mantras to welcome opportunity into your life
Send us an email and let us know – we’re happy to be your accountability buddy! What is one thing that you’re going to do today to forge your true career pathway?
Interested in learning more about following your true calling? We are launching a course on this very soon. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates on the course launch.
