Do You Have a Job, Career, Or a Calling?
The difference matters as it shapes much of your direction and ultimate destiny.
The work that you do is constantly molding and shaping who you are. The truth of the matter is that your identity is heavily invested in work.
You’re more than just your work of course, but you can’t deny the fact that work plays a crucial role in your life.
Humans were made to work and along with family, it forms the very bedrock of our society.
Many conversations start off with questions like “What do you do for a living”? and “ Where do you work?’’
Such questions are perfectly normal and are to be expected throughout your life.
What’s not normal or at least shouldn’t be is a feeling of dread and unhappiness associated with work.
But sadly this is the reality for millions across the world.
The fact is that many people perhaps yourself included struggle to find work that is truly satisfying and gives them meaning and purpose.
We spend so much of our lives at work, so we should be happy and satisfied for the duration of that time.
It shouldn’t just be about looking forward to Fridays, weekends, and holiday time. This makes for one sad existence!
I think it's fair to say that we all want meaningful work and we spend so much of our lives chasing it.
Time to reevaluate our lives
Perhaps now more than ever during this Post- COVID era people are yearning for more fulfillment in their work.
COVID caused the ‘great resignation’ and forced people to take an honest look at their lives.
There’s nothing like a crisis to make you reevaluate your life.
Many people as a result reinvented their lives during this time including their work.
You need to first examine what type of work you have to determine where you are heading and if you need to change direction or stay where you are.
When I say examine what type of work you have, I don’t mean your actual profession, I mean whether you have a job, career, or a calling.
So, what's the difference between a job, career, or a calling?
Let’s explore each one:
A job
If you see your work as a job then it’s most likely a means to an end. You need to do A to get to B and C.
Perfectly normal and acceptable. I’m not here to berate you or put you down.
Having a job is always a privilege my mom taught me.
She says there is no shame in putting food on the table and paying your bills.
What’s more, your job can be paying for your dream life.
I know someone who works in a pretty mediocre job but this mediocre job has enabled him to travel to more than 83 countries. Not bad huh?
A career
If you see your work as a career, it’s a journey of progression.
You’re looking for opportunities for advancement.
You’ve probably invested in titles, promotions, and perks.
Again nothing wrong with this.
For me, the term career conjures up the famous Dolly Parton song ‘’Working 9 to 5".
Such a catchy song that makes working 9–5 sexy.
I promise if you listen to it on the above YouTube link you’ll be singing it for days.
It sticks in your head!
Dolly Parton actually works 9 to 5 to this day. She said so in a recent interview.
It’s perfectly okay to work 9 to 5 or even 1 to 8 or if you're a shift worker your hours are all over the place. That’s fine too!
A calling
If you see your work as a calling then you are part of a small select group of people on earth that experience an inner voice (calling) that knows “this is what I was put on the earth to do.”
You have so much clarity, certainty, and conviction that nothing can stop you except for deep insecurities or lack of self-belief.
But, then most people in this category seem to conquer these obstacles.
They are driven by their vision, not their circumstances.
Not all of them are entrepreneurs or CEOs either. Some can be the local florist or tradesperson that is truly madly in love with their craft.
What’s your work orientation?
You already know deep down the answer to this question. But, to help you, even more, ask yourself the following 8 questions:
- Do I actually like my work (or at least parts of it)?
- What’s the most meaningful part of my work?
- Is it aligned with who I am as a person?
- Would I be doing it if I didn’t need the money? (Oprah Winfrey says this is key to knowing if it’s your thing)
- Am I proud to talk about my work to others?
- Am I making an impact through it?
- Am I growing as a person through it?
- Are work titles and moving up the ‘ladder’ important to me?
If your work orientation is category one — a job there’s nothing wrong with this. Don’t feel inadequate or insecure.
Your contribution is needed and vital.
My mom was an Italian immigrant to Australia and spent her life working in factories for over 30 years.
It was a job to pay the bills and feed her family. She never saw it as a career or calling.
But she made a contribution to society and to her family.
As her daughter, I'm so proud of her!
Often in life especially in this day and age that is so far removed from my mom’s time (the 1960s), you need to start with a job and progress from there.
If your work orientation is category two- a career, again there is nothing wrong with this.
In fact, be proud of yourself and your progression no matter what stage you’re in.
Even if you’ve had a most unconventional career path or perhaps changed careers many times, it’s perfectly okay. Part of your journey. Embrace it!
If your work orientation is category three- a calling, you have an honor and a responsibility to carry it out.
It takes a lot of courage as often you have a lot of opposition, both external and internal.
But, with a strong vision and action plan, you can conquer opposition and reach your destination.
Once you’ve reached it, it's not all roses and chocolates though.
In fact, that’s when the real work begins.
So you’ll face challenges and trials but it will be so worth it.
Just like with having a job or a career you’ll still experience bad days and situations that unsettle you.
Please understand I am not here to make you feel bad or insecure if you fall into the category of a job or career. Honestly, most of the human population falls into these two categories. The reality is only a small percentage of people experience their work as a calling.
Just ask most people you know in your life about their work and you’ll see most fall into the category of having either a job or a career.
So, why is it that few people experience a calling?
Personally, I believe it has to do with the way that society is set up including traditional education.
We are not encouraged to seek a calling.
It definitely wasn't taught to me growing up.
For the most part, even now it's not taught.
It would require a huge paradigm shift — society encouraging us to think big and differently.
Although society is changing along with many outdated paradigms, we are still set up to think in terms of having a job or career.
It should be said based on my own personal experience at least that a calling can come to you after you’ve had a job and a career.
This has certainly been the case with me.
My twenties were all about having a job, in fact, several ones for the matter.
My early to mid-thirties were about career building and now in my late thirties, I am starting to hear a calling.
It’s more like a whisper at this stage, but it's getting louder by the day.
Many people might experience a calling even in their 40s and beyond.
Again there is no right or wrong. The one size fits all approach doesn’t apply here or to most things in life, I've found.
I have come to believe at this stage of my life after much self-reflection and self-awareness, that the category we should strive for is a calling.
It’s the mountaintop with the most breathtaking views.
It’s worth the climb no matter how steep.
You experience a stronger sense of well-being and get out of bed in the mornings with purpose.
Your days have better direction, order, and meaning.
A calling isn't always found where you think
A calling isn’t always found through your work. I used to think it was but then realized that callings are as diverse as human beings.
A calling could be a hobby, a project you do on the side outside your work, even a garden you create, being a mom, being a dad, etc.
These are all worthwhile callings.
We don’t all need to be Elon Musk and Steve Jobs.
Your 3As
Remember too that you can always bring more meaning and purpose to a job and career by fine-tuning the 3As — your attitude, approach, and aptitude:
- Attitude- Instead of bemoaning and complaining bring a more positive & empowering attitude to your work. Initiate changes, get conversations going. Consider starting a side hustle to steer some of your focus away from your work.
- Approach- Think big and ‘outside the box’ by bringing a totally new and different approach to your current work. Do something that’s never been done before. Be a super problem solver!
- Aptitude- Upskill for your current industry and other industries of the future to stay relevant and master the combination of soft and hard skills.
How do I find my calling then?
If you're like most people who wish to find their calling through their work implement the following strategies to increase your chances of finding it:
Get to know Yourself
This should be the first tenet of every human being’s life.
The ancient Greeks understood this and that’s why the inscription at the entrance to the temple of Apollo at Delphi said “Know Thyself.”
Two thousand years later it's still relevant.
Most people go through life on auto-pilot never truly knowing themselves.
If you don’t get to know who you are and embark on a combination of both finding and creating yourself I guarantee others will do it for you.
This is why many people go right through life living up to other people’s expectations and demands.
It makes for an inauthentic life.
Before you find your WHY you must find your WHO. Who are you?
Im not talking about your name, ethnicity, and age.
Im talking about digging deep like an archaeologist and peeling away all the layers and getting to your core. This is what soul searching is all about.
Through going deep within, that’s when your calling reveals itself to you over time.
An old manager of mine once told me, “ Don’t go looking for your calling, your calling will find you.”
How true you were Tony!
I have now come to believe that only through knowing yourself can you fully embrace and accept your calling.
Leverage your strengths & talents
One of the fastest ways to discover your calling is to just build on your natural strengths and talents.
See what you’re already good at — cooking, writing, speaking, coding, teaching, etc, etc and build on that.
Many callings are discovered by immersing yourself in what you're already good at.
You just keep refining.
Then rinse and repeat.
Make sure though that you have a passion for it.
Not enough to just be good at something.
You must have a passion for it.
Passion is the fuel of life.
The ultimate formula for work success:
Passion+Competency+ Need=Service & Contribution
Experiment and try things out
I call this “shopping for work” or in this case shopping for a calling.
Jay Shetty once made the point that you wouldn't know what food you liked if you hadn't tried different foods.
This is a practical philosophy that we should apply to our work lives.
Enroll in a few courses, training, modules, etc, and see where it takes you.
It’s okay to quit midway if you discover it's not for you.
But, when you do discover the thing that is for you, commit to it 100%.
Callings require mastery. You can’t be a dabbler.
If your calling is to own a bakery make sure you make the best damn bread in town!
Spend time with Inspiring people
This doesn’t actually have to be in person, as we now have access to knowledge and people at our fingertips.
Of course, if you do have access to people that can guide you with your calling then take advantage. These can be mentors, coaches, or friends.
I have found that one of the best ways to spend time with inspiring people is through books, podcasts, YouTube videos, and even Medium articles.
I guarantee if you absorb such content for 7 days a week for six months straight you’ll experience a big change.
Your mind will start thinking in terms of possibility.
If you continue on the path for one whole year straight, you’ll be a totally different person.
Even if at the end of the year you still haven’t found your calling, you’ll be more empowered and radiate certainty, confidence, and conviction.
These will eventually help lead you to the trail to finding your calling……
Make average your enemy
Let’s face it — the way society is set up is to make you average: think, be, and do average.
That’s how governments and institutions control society.
Im not here to be political or inspire or incite conspiracy theories.
I am simply making a point.
I think at some level, you already know what I mean.
The reality is in order to live a life of meaning and purpose which is guided by a calling you need to be more than average.
Average people won't do these things.
They just don't think this way.
They settle for a mediocre life.
Heck most of them wouldn't even dedicate two seconds to reading this piece or reading Medium articles.
So if you don't want to be like them then you got to make ‘average’ your enemy.
Make it your mantra in life.
It just means you don't follow in their footsteps and give yourself permission to be all that you can be.
FACT: Average people settle for a life that is so much less than they can be. They don't take time to maximize their potential. Above-average people don’t settle. They are relentless and maximize their potential.
Believe in yourself
This is your golden ticket, Willy Wonka style to life.
If you’ve implemented all of the above strategies, but lack self-belief, everything will just go down the drain for you.
Self-belief is the ultimate superpower that enables you to rise above adversity and come out winning on the other side.
Lack of self-belief is what stops most people from pursuing a life that they truly desire.
YouTuber Evan Carmichael says that it's the world’s biggest problem and that’s why he created his channel #Believe Nation to inspire people to believe in themselves.
In order to stand a chance of fulfilling your calling, you must have a degree of self-belief and for this, you need a respectable amount of confidence.
Confidence comes from knowing who you are, being comfortable with that, and getting experience in life.
Learning to starve your inner critic, that pesky little voice that puts you down will also do wonders for your overall confidence and self-belief.
Final thoughts
To summarize work can be categorized into a job, career, or a calling and the differences as discussed do matter.
They shape so much of your behaviors and outlook on life.
Do take some time to reflect on whether you have a job, career, or a calling.
Whatever the category you’re in, know it's part of your journey so embrace it.
Learn from it.
Both the good and the bad.
Every category has its lessons.
Just like with so many things, it is open to change in today’s workforce with so much disruption occurring around technology and societal trends.
I want to encourage you to think big and rise above average and contemplate having more meaning and purpose in your work.
To Create a Better You,
Sandra D
Resources to help you: (not affiliate links)
Podcast:
The Meaning Movement Rediscover your Passion, Avoid Burnout and Do Work You Love
