HOW TO FIND YOUR TRUE CALLING


Feel stuck in your job? As if there must be more to life? Maybe it’s because you haven’t discovered your true calling. These guidelines can help you strategise and find greater fulfilment and satisfaction.


When Monday morning becomes something you dread, it’s time to examine your choices, says career development practitioner Reshma Khandoo. Not because she believes that it may be time to job hop; to the contrary. Reshma warns that because every job has its boring side, it’s just a matter of time until your exciting new post becomes mundane. Rather, your introspection may lead you to realise how to find greater meaning through your work.



“Your introspection may lead you to realise how to find greater meaning through your work” - Reshma Khandoo


DISSECT YOUR DISSATISFACTION
Take a look at what, exactly, is making you feel stuck, Reshma advises. Do you feel that your role is boring, or are you peeved that your colleagues appear to receive better benefits? What are the parts of your job that leave you drained, and can you find a way to lessen your dread of them so that you have more energy for what you enjoy?

HOW CAN THINGS IMPROVE?
Accept that no job is perfect and consider the aspects of your career that do bring you joy. How can you capitalise on these? This is where you need to focus your energy.



UNDERSTAND YOUR VALUES
Each of us has something we cherish and look forward to. For some, it’s family time. For others, it’s the road to self-actualisation and achievement. Work is most fulfilling when it bolsters these values in some way. Consider, for instance, if family is high on your list of values then your true calling might be something that gives you the flexibility to spend more time with your partner and kids.

WHAT IS YOUR WHY?
Sure, we all need money – but work isn’t just about earning a salary. So, why do you do what you do? Do you enjoy the challenge? Do you relish opportunities to help others or flex your creative muscle?

BUILDING YOUR SENSE OF PURPOSE
We all want to contribute to something larger than ourselves. Understanding how your job and your actions make a difference can be a true source of achievement and satisfaction, Reshma observes. So ask yourself what problem you would like to be part of solving.



BE CLEAR ON WHAT YOU WANT
Clarifying your goals requires long-term thinking. Right now, your job might be a means to an end – whether that end is paying your kids’ school fees or keeping up with the rent – but what do you ultimately want out of your life? Perhaps you’d like more space to be creative, or maybe you harbour a dream of being able to take more holidays. Now, says Reshma, find a way for your career to be part of the journey to this goal.

TWO REAL-LIFE CASE STUDIES
Finding meaning in your career doesn’t always require a job swap, it simply entails exploring new avenues. After six years as a director of the tax advisory consultancy she co-founded, Tebogo Sehume found herself asking: is this it? So she decided to start her podcast, Super Power Podcast, showcasing black women doing amazing things. More than just a source of inspiration and motivation, Tebogo found it reassuring to realise that there is always someone else who has had an experience similar to your own.

Criminal law professor Mary Nel knew she made an impact on her university students, but she found standing in a lecture hall in front of 300 students impersonal. When she heard of a prison-university educational partnership overseas, she decided to import the concept to SA. The Ubuntu Learning Community, attended by university and prison students, launched its first short course last year. The process has been illuminating, Mary enthuses, teaching us all about friendship and humanity, and adding a new dimension to her work.

BY LISA WITEPSKI


HOW TO FIND YOUR TRUE CALLING HOW TO FIND YOUR TRUE CALLING Reviewed by Michelle Pienaar on December 23, 2020 Rating: 5
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