The last time I asked myself what work I really wanted to do, I went down some very productive philosophical “rabbit holes” that eventually led me to what I do today: coaching. During that process, three themes kept coming up for me:
- Importance
- Possibilities
- Gifts
Importance
I really wanted to do work that felt meaningful and important, but that wasn’t all. I also wanted to give importance to how I was spending my time, both in the micro sense (how I’m feeling in the moment, every day) and the macro sense (how I’m feeling about my life as a whole, going on the assumption that I’ll live 80 years or so). In the end, I concluded that what was most important for me was to feel that I was being of help to others.
Possibilities
I’m a very pragmatic person by nature, which has served me well in terms of getting things done. However, in the past it’s also led me to imagine ONLY what’s possible with what I have and know today. Very practical, but limiting in that it didn’t encourage me to think very big or aim very high. When I allowed myself to imagine where it might be possible to go without restrictions, and without worrying about how to get there, the sky opened up with possibilities. I remembered how much I like talking to people about “life” and the reasons that we do things. And what if I could do that for a living? Well, eventually it led me to do the coaching I do now.
Gifts
I don’t like waste. And wasted gifts and talents… Well, that’s one of the saddest things I can think of. As I thought about how I wanted to live my life, I took account of my gifts and the things that make me unique. The things that I seem to do easily, naturally, and better than most people. My list included a good ear, empathy, and an ability to understand things quickly, among others. Knowing what gifts I didn’t want to go unused or squandered led me to become a coach.
Answer 3 transformational questions
There are an infinite number of transformational questions you could ask yourself to help you see things from a different perspective, and become more aware of what’s important to you. For the sake of this exercise, answer these three for yourself and take note of what you’re more aware of than before:
Q1: What is most important to you at this time in your life?
(e.g., financial security, spending time with family, living up to my potential, making a difference…)
Q2: If you could do anything you wanted without restrictions, and if money were no object, what would it be?
(e.g., embark on a new career, take a trip, explore ___________ all day long, knock out a bucket list item…)
Q3: What is your special gift to give to the world?
(What makes you unique? What’s a talent that you have that no one else has? What are you better at than anyone else? How would you finish this sentence: “I’m super _________” – flexible? decisive? quick with numbers? social? organized?…)
Stay tuned to Cambio Coaching on social media for the remainder of this 7-day series!
TOMORROW: Day 3 – Unexplored Interests
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