One of the questions I get asked as a coach, definitely as a mother, and if I am honest, one I have often asked myself, is “how do I know what I want to be when I grow up?”

It’s an age-old question that we start hearing as soon as we can walk and talk.  When we are young we believe we can do anything; we haven’t yet built obstacles around our choices.  One day we might want to be a painter and the next we want to be a fireman.  When we are young we just voice our interests and the things we love to do without any worldly filters.  When kids tell us what they want to be when they grow up they are often naming vocations, but they are speaking about what they love.  They still believe they can do both.

As we get older, we can get sidetracked by making a living and taking care of our responsibilities and often our “interests” get thrown out the window.  We all know people though who seem to love what they do and we wonder how they managed to get where they are.  We feel like they know the “secret” and somehow we missed it.

The reality is  we didn’t miss anything.  We are just responsible adults doing what we are “supposed” to do.  Some people just stumbled upon happiness, vocation and earning a living in the same spot.  Some of us just need to get a little more creative when it comes to figuring out who we are and what we want to do with our lives.

How?  Start by asking yourself some questions:

We can catch glimpses of our truest, unfiltered loves by reflecting back on our younger selves.  Often, we will find a common thread throughout our lives and if we start to follow that thread it will lead us to some answers.

Sometimes our calling is volunteering at the animal shelter and sometimes it’s playing tennis.  This doesn’t mean we have to quit our day job to open a shelter or that we should give up our dream of playing tennis because we will never make any money at it.  Just start by going to your local shelter or playing a round of tennis with a friend. You’d be surprised at how fulfilling life can be when you add things you love.

This week, begin making a list of all the things you love or would love to try.  You never know, you might just stumble on your calling.  At the very least you’ll probably find a little more joy in your life.