Step by Step to Your Personal Destiny

What do you really want to do? If there were no issues of money or time or education, what career would you choose? Your career is one aspect of your personal destiny, which lies at the intersection of your passions, talents and the needs of the world. The secret to a fulfilling career is the integration of these three parts. Does your career align with your goals and values or is it draining the potential you have to live a happy and healthy existence?

In a recent conversation, I asked my friend Jake what he really wanted to do. He was in the middle of yet another corporate relocation and was not looking forward to the move. "You know what's funny?" he said. "I can't remember anyone asking me that before. I can't even remember the last time I thought about it. To be honest, I don't even know..."

Jake is one of many who work on autopilot. He is successful and talented in his position, but at some point, he stopped checking in with himself about what his soul would choose to pursue. What do you really want to do? Not what should you do or what someone else does. What thrills you when you wake up in the morning? What motivates you throughout the day? When we are able to use our intelligence and creativity, and when our hearts play a role in our life's work, this is when we feel most alive.

Like many of my friends, I entered corporate America soon after completing college. I found the work interesting and challenging, and my colleagues and I became life-long friends. Three years later, I relocated with my company to another state and started a similar cycle: learning new policies and procedures, meeting new people and understanding the ebb and flow of my new environment.

I could finally pay my bills and the mortgage, and I enjoyed the social interactions at work, but something was missing. What started as a slight irritation became a yearning that was impossible to ignore. Early on, I dreamed of making a difference in the world and working with people, but instead, I found myself in a cubicle stacked with paperwork.

I may have continued to remain in the corporate world, but in 2006, I participated in a six-month fellowship in Nairobi, Kenya. Taking a step back from your own life can help to view things from a different perspective. One thing was clear: it was not the work policies and procedures that bothered me, as much as it was my soul calling out, "Hey! Why are you staying with this job when everything you've ever wanted to do is just waiting out there?"

I had been ignoring that question for the last six years. It was too easy, too convenient, to have a regular routine and paycheck, but the nudge to make a change became stronger. It was time to act. I worked to clarify my dreams and goals, made a list of my talents, then added corresponding career ideas. I went through the list again to determine which careers would also encompass my passions. Finally, I asked myself if there was a need in the world for any of the things on my list.

Could I find clients to fill a coaching practice or get a manuscript published? I didn't know, but I acted as if those were the only possible outcomes. I planned how I wanted a typical week to look by drawing up a schedule that allowed time for both client meetings and writing. I also looked into writing programs that I could pursue when I returned home.

This phrase kept me going: Whatever it takes. I used to have a baseball cap that read, "Whatever It Takes. Ditka 8:89." It was Mike Ditka, the Chicago Bears head coach, who created that motto for his team. Nearly 20 years later, I could not get it out of my head (thanks, Coach).

I gave myself a year from the date I returned to the US to get my finances in order, start a business and learn all I could about actually making it work. That was in January of 2007. It was only then, when I became extraordinarily clear in what I wanted and needed to do, that things started happening. The time had come when I needed to leave corporate America; I determined my path and the universe added another bonus.

Two days before I left Nairobi, I learned that my company planned to close our site. Apparently, we would have approximately one year to transfer our projects to other sites before the final shutdown. My plan was in place to leave anyway; synchronicity arranged it as smoothly as possible. I made the commitment to act, and things fell into place.

The universe always supports your steps toward the call of your soul, whether through enormous action like a company closing or in a delicate prodding that urges you forward. We are all creative beings, regardless of our various talents or career path, and there are endless opportunities. You can do anything you like. Take it step by step and notice when synchronicity begins to guide you. At every crossroad, take the next right step toward your personal destiny. 

The Get-5 Action Plan

1. Get Serious
Honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses. Does your current career utilize your talents and offer support as you grow? Dig in deep; you are a wealth of potential energy just waiting to be activated.

2. Get Clear
Take stock of your current situation. Are you happy with your career? What specific actions will move your life forward?

3. Get Going
Start now. No excuses. Create a plan to take action, even if it consists of just one step forward. When you take that step, go for the next one. Do not beat yourself up for waiting to begin. All it takes is doing one thing differently to start the momentum.

4. Get Help
Learn to ask for assistance when you need it. The most successful people in history were all fueled by inspiration from a friend, a creative mastermind group or teams of people with wisdom and experience to share.

5. Get On With It
Act with determination. You have started on a journey; now strengthen your resolve to persevere. Remember: "Whatever it takes." Now go and make it happen.