Something unique to Americans is often asked when you meet someone new. One of the first questions asked when you meet someone new at a party, or on the airplane is: “What Do You Do?” What is very interesting is that this is a question that most Europeans NEVER ask you when you first meet. Even after meeting several times, it is a question rarely asked. Well, unfortunately, what you do for a living is often times “attached” to your sense of identity. But after I sold my business, I found myself not being able to answer that question. I used to tell people that “I Don’t Know” what I do for a living!
So if you are one of those people who doesn’t know what you want to do when you grow up, here are 7 secrets to finding a life of success and significance:
- Listen To Hear God’s Voice– The only way to find your calling in life and to live with a sense of purpose, is to be talking and listening to the guy who made you. You need to understand what you were designed to do in life and then get on with it. We spend nearly 1/3 of our lives at work! A 2013 Gallup study revealed that 30% of people are “excited” about their jobs, about 50% are “disengaged” and the remaining 20% actively try to harm their organizations! With statistics like these, just imagine working in what you were designed to do!
- Determine what is in your BOX- When your middle aged like me, you have the unique chance to stop and reflect back on your first 50 years! Look for the common threads between what God has whispered in your ears for the last 50 years and what you are passionate about. See if you can connect the dots and see a pathway to your purpose! I call this living OnPurpose and its all about living intentionally. When you understand what passions and skills are in your BOX, work to prioritize them down to the most important one and then develop a plan to direct y our life towards that end.
- Let Go of The Past-What ever has happened to you in the past, make sure to leave it in the past. Don’t Nurse it, Don’t Curse it. Just go about reversing it by keeping your hand on the plow moving forward. Let go of any un-forgiveness or bitterness so that you can remove the yoke of bondage that it holds over you. It is important to let the past go not because of what someone did or said was right, but so that you can free yourself from them.
- Endure-Finding your purpose and destiny in life requires you learn how to endure through the valley of development. One thing that God requires is for you to attend his bootcamp training. This is mandatory training for anyone seeking there destiny and purpose. The reason you need to attend the training is so that you learn to rely on his word and not your own.
- Recharge-Essential to finding your purpose and destiny requires time to recharge. Take time to go back to what you enjoy in life and make sure to experience these times with a sense of gratitude. For example, I still go to Cedar Point to ride the coasters. I buy a season pass and often go by myself. It is like a mini vacation every summer just walking the cause way and riding the coasters. It makes me think I am a “kid” again and that brings back fond memories!
- Dream-After you have recharged yourself, take time to dream again. Remember that God gives you vision and this vision is a road map to your destiny and purpose. God gives you a vision and always equips that vision with the provisions to make it happen. But you have to accept it by faith and bring it into the present.
- Align-Now that you have a vision for your purpose and destiny, you must develop a game plan. That requires that you put your vision into goals and action steps. I develop yearly goals and action plans that I write down and review weekly. This helps me focus on the important things throughout the year and keeps me on tract with achieving my dreams and goals. Act on those goals and move from success to significance in your life.
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