David J.

Pollay

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February 9, 2009

Your 7-Step Life Calling Plan

Are we doing as much as we can with the life we have been given? Are we using our natural given talents to a good end? Are we making a difference with our work? Is this what we were meant to do with our lives? Or directly said, “What’s the point? Why are we here?”

These questions have been asked for thousands of years. The way the question is phrased varies, but the meaning is the same. Our quest is universal.

Knowing our purpose, or our calling, and living it, increases our happiness. Yale psychology researcher Amy Wrzesniewski and others have also discovered in their research that living our calling leads to superior work performance and career success.

Some of us, throughout our lives, have actively sought the answer to the question, “What is our calling?” We have thought about it for as long as we can remember. Others have pondered this question less often. But, when we experience disruptions in our lives, we all ask the question.

Today’s global economic crisis is that disruption. It is causing us to reflect. When we lose our jobs, or our salaries are cut or frozen, or our work roles are significantly changed, the question of what we are doing with our lives becomes more urgent.

If you are at or near this defining moment, you are looking at one of the most important opportunities of your life. The question then becomes, “What do you do next?” You can follow my “7-Step LIFE Calling Plan” to get started.

1. Write down the things you have frequently dreamed of doing with your life if given the chance. Write down which of those interests have inspired you the most and would give you the greatest satisfaction if you pursued them.

2. Write down the expenses you must absolutely maintain in your life, and which ones could be reduced or eliminated. Be creative. You want as much financial room as possible to maneuver into your new, more meaningful, but potentially less lucrative path (at least in the short term).

3. Write down the additional expenses you would likely incur on your new path. Do you need additional education, training or coaching to pursue your calling?

4. Write down five to 10 of the most successful people in your domain of interest. Buy their books, listen to their CDs, read their articles, follow their blogs . . . do anything to learn from them.

5. Write down everyone you know who does anything related to your interest. Write down when you will contact them to learn more about what they do, and what advice they could give you.

6. Pick up your calendar, and choose four days when you can be alone or with a loved one. Break from your normal routine and environment. You can stay in a hotel, motel, hostel or the home of a friend or family member. Use this time to fully explore what your life would be like if you pursued your dream. How could you make it work? What would you have to do? Take the time to sketch out an ambitious plan. Then make sure to draw out a similarly bold timeline, but infuse it with realism. You must consider the commitments you have, and the ones you will need to modify – or give up – in order to determine what you can do, when and how quickly.

7. Finally, when you return from your time away, write down the reasons you are excited that you are pursing your passion. And then, start each day offering thanks for the freedom you have to choose what you do every day. Immerse yourself in the vision of your best possible life.

The time to act is now. You are on a mission. You have accepted the challenge of your calling. You will not get there overnight, but you will make it happen. Nineteenth Century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli said it best: “The secret of success is constancy of purpose.” 

David J. Pollay is the creator of The Law of the Garbage Truck™. Mr. Pollay writes the Monday Morning Momentum Blog each week. He is a syndicated columnist with the North Star Writers Group, creator and host of The Happiness Answer™ television program, and an internationally sought after speaker. Mr. Pollay’s book, Beware of Garbage Trucks!™, is due out later this year. Mr. Pollay is the founder and president of the consulting and seminar organization, The Momentum Project.

© 2009 David J. Pollay. Distributed by North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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