Three Questions for the Next You

Today, a colleague sent out a desperate plea for advice, saying that she was despondent in her current job, and ready to quit.

I wonder how many in today's workplaces are feeling the same way? Some surveys put the number at 60% or higher that are looking to leave their current spots, hoping for greener pastures someplace else.

If you are in this predicament, I have three questions to help you start thinking about the move you want to make.

1. What work do you really want to do?

2. What obstacles are standing in your way?

3. What is calling you?

Let's take a closer look at these three.

First, I would ask, What work would you really like to be doing? Do you want to stay in your chosen field? Or do you want to branch out into another?

Articulating your vision for yourself, and the work you aspire to do, is a critical step in the direction you want to go. Each of us has been gifted with skills and talents. Putting those gifts to good use is one of the keys to happiness and success.

Second, I would ask, What is standing in your way? What is holding you back? What is keeping you from moving in your desired direction?

Even though we desire to change, nevertheless we may be stuck. Getting clearly focused on your own obstacles --those within you, and those outside you-- will stimulate energy for the change you desire to make. This is a finding from the research being done by Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson.

Third, I would ask, What do you feel called to? What are your dreams about the impact you want to have on the world?

Do you have a calling? I believe that we all have one. Trouble is, many of us never hear it.

The question about calling has several aspects. One is actually about the 'where' aspect of your career. Where do you want to work? For someone else or for yourself? For a large company or a smaller one? Close to home or far away?

Another aspect of calling is 'for whom?' How many of us really think about the audience we want to reach or customer we want to serve?

And one more aspect of calling is 'with what effect?' Many of us are socialized to think that we work to make money. Full stop. We want to make a lot of money and so we gravitate to the for-profit realm. But that is not always the path to fulfillment.

The not-for-profit space may be the place where your gifts will do the most good. And bring you the most satisfaction.

The world of work is a much bigger landscape than we may imagine, with much more diversity and opportunity than we know.

If you, like the person whose plea started this meditation, are feeling burned out in your current job, maybe this is a good time for some soul searching with a few helpful questions.

Posted by Terrence Seamon on Friday October 12, 2012