Questions to Uncover YOUR Calling / Purpose / Why...
Mark Myette, ACC, MBA
Got gifts? Yes! Connecting you with YOUR gifts to maximize life & career.
Since we are in the age of self-help / self-diagnosis I want to provide a bit of a frame work to help you take the FIRST step toward a contented / fulfilled life and answering the MOST important question you should answer: What's my calling / purpose / why?
Questions to ask yourself BEFORE you begin:
- What needs to be done?
- Is it a WANT or NEED?
- What challenge(s) am I trying to solve?
- Why do I think I have a challenge?
- What data do I have to support this claim?
- What do I hope the personal assessment will accomplish? Or,
- What does success look like as a result of doing this personal assessment? Or.
- What do I look like transformed?
- Do I have buy-in from those closest to me?
- How will those closest to me support this effort?
- How committed am I about rolling up my sleeves to do this assessment AND follow up AND follow through?
- What's the worst thing that will happen if I do nothing?
- Is it a motivation challenge or a skill challenge?
- Am I willing to put myself out there to learn about me?
- Is it worth it?
If the answers above SUPPORT you continuing down this self-assessment / evaluation mode keep reading, roll up your sleeves and begin your quest!
Author notes:
- People have asked me if I'm on a spiritual journey through my blog and website. I submit I have a faith I want to continue to nurture, grow, and share with those open to learn. That said though, I encourage EVERYONE to "lean in" on THEIR faith - whatever it may be. When we do that - this "thing" around calling, purpose, and why seem to be LESS ominous.
- Answering the questions that follow are an entry point to connecting to your purpose / meaning / why...the beginning!
- IF you find yourself getting mentally "log-jammed" may I suggest a coach? If not, it is my hope these questions get you to, or closer to, a point of clarity!
- IF yes, I would be happy to be a sounding board for a complimentary 30 minute call. (Contact info below.)
- You will notice there are PLENTY of thought-provoking questions to ponder. Some of which overlap one another - by design.
- Also no accident, as you work through DESIGN and DESTINY the number of questions become more limited since you'll probably need an objective resource / sounding board to reflect, process, land on the answers uncovered in Steps 1 and 2…
Take Your Position!
So, in keeping with our previous post around appreciative inquiry (AI) - Your Route to Empowerment - be appreciative of yourself when you thoughtfully answer the AI questions.
If you might recall, AI is defined as positively exploring, collectively imagining, collaboratively designing and committing to a path forward. In other words, "To change how people think, rather than what people do…" AI has four phases AKA 4-D process:
- Discovery
- Dream
- Design
- Destiny
1. Discovery
- WHY do I get out bed in the AM?
- What's my situation?
- What is my story?
- How did I get here?
- What works well for me now?
- What captivates me?
- Where am I "most at home?"
- Where/when do I "disappear"?
- What do I do when I have "free time"?
- What has been a high point of my career?
- What helps me maximize my performance?
- What’s the best thing about me?
- What brings me / my world / people together?
- As I think back through my career: here's a high point when I felt most effective and engaged. This is how I felt, and what made the situation possible.
- How aligned are these passions with what I'm naturally good at?
- How do I stand out?
- What am I naturally good at?
- What are my gifts / talents?
- What are my passions?
- What is my itch?
- What brings life to me?
- What talents have others noticed, yet I downplay?
- What do people compliment me on?
- What do I do during my free time?
- What's the one thing I find myself doing on a consistent basis?
- What do I respect?
- What do I value?
- What are my TOP 3 values?
- What problems am I good at solving?
- What worries me?
- What upsets me?
- What's the one thing I would not want to repeat?
- When I reflect on my life – this is when I feel / felt most alive?
- What am I naturally bad at?
- Who are / were my heroes? Why?
- What attributes to I most admire in my heroes?
- Who are/were my nemesis'?
- What attributes do I most abhor in my nemesis'? Why?
2. Dream
- What is my desire?
- What is my dream job?
- What would I love to do if…
– No limits
– No failure
- What would you want your life / career look like in one, three, five years from today?
- What does success look like for me?
- Income
- Lifestyle
- Financial
- What gift(s) has / have the most natural connection to your goal?
- What is your ideal vision for your life / career?
- What would you do if...?
- Describe your three concrete wishes for the future of your life / career.
- What is my message to the world?
- What will my legacy look like?
- What will people say about me when I die?
– Family
– Friends
– Working Associates / Colleagues
3. Design
- What are the elements needed to create the vision?
- What is the best structure to support the vision?
- What long and short-term goals will bring the vision to life? (Are these a real stretch?)
- What is the bridge between what is the best of what is not (Discovery) and what might be (Dream)?
- I would spend this percentage of my time here (total = 100%):
– People
– Performance
– Process
4. Destiny
- What's my why?
- This is my mission and vision...
- What will I do to contribute to the mission and vision?
- How am I going to deliver on this mission / vision?
Get Feedback!
When it's all said and done, ask someone you admire / respect: "I've been grappling with a personal quest for purpose and this is what I've come up with. What do you think?"
FINAL QUESTION: When will I take the first step?
Congratulations! By reading to the end of this blog…you already have!
My best to your quest!
Mark
I believe each of us is a gift. I create trusted relationships where individuals, teams and leaders NAME, CLAIM and AIM their gifts to achieve optimum performance.
Interested to Learn About Yourself or Your Team? Mark is a Certified CliftonStrengths Coach and TotalSDI Facilitator and happy to discuss your situation / team.