What to Do?
By virtue of the fact that you are reading this weekly column in a newspaper, magazine, or an online publication somewhere in the world, you are probably a student of personal development and success. Most success systems boil down to having a worthwhile goal or objective and developing a plan to move toward it. This is great if you’re one of the lucky people on the planet who knows exactly what you want to do and where you want to be. But if you are among the rest of us who make up the vast majority of humanity, you are wrestling with the age-old challenge of what to do.
There may not be one clear answer to this question in your personal or professional life. When you think of heroes of sports, the creative arts, or entertainment, it’s easy to assume those people had clear and defined objectives and moved straight toward them. If you look behind the curtain, this is rarely the case; but for the rest of us, we have to cobble together our success from a number of elements. While I don’t have the answer to your question, “What should I do?”, I can offer a few critical elements that may help you come up with your own answer.
Passion is a key element of whatever you should be pursuing in your personal or professional life. The people and things that energize you, bring you joy, and keep you fully engaged should always be a part of what you do in your life.
Your innate talents are a key indicator of what you should do. The things that come easily or naturally to you that everyone else seems to struggle with should be a part of your vocation and avocation.
Our own needs are something we often overlook as we are trying to determine our mission or calling. If you pursue your passion and utilize your talents but can’t meet the ongoing needs faced by you and your family, you have not found a career, you have simply developed a hobby.
The final element we must consider as we contemplate how we are going to invest the days of our lives during our time here on earth is purpose. As in most things of significance, it’s not about you or me. It’s about the people we are here to serve and the difference we can make in the world around us.
If you can pursue your passion, utilize your talents, meet your needs, and fulfill a greater purpose for others, you will always know what to do.
As you go through your day today, determine what to do and do what you have determined.
Today’s the day!