I have so many clients come into my office in tears, explaining, “I just don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!” While this feeling can be incredibly frustrating (I know, I’ve been there too!), there is so much you can do to try and find your passion in life starting today.
The first thing I tell these clients is that what they are feeling is completely normal. After all, being a military spouse is a significant and meaningful role, so I assure them that they are already living their life with quite a bit of purpose! I give them permission to just be and remember that they are offering the world so much by supporting their spouses and maintaining the home front.
Plus, just by taking some baby steps, we can co-create a plan to uncover other passions. I have clients start paying attention to what they love and what others see as their strengths. By following this same path, you too can discover your life’s passion.
Find Your Strengths
While there are many exercises that will help you determine your strengths, I recommend starting with these four—I find that they help people take that important first step on the journey to fulfillment and success.
- Think about what you’ve received compliments on—whether it be your cooking, your style, or even your positive attitude. While it may initially seem as though these things are far removed from an actual career, some deep thinking about the underlying passions and talents may prove your true potential.
- Ask yourself, if you were deserted on an island and had only one subject to study for the rest of your life, what types of books would you end up reading? If you aren’t quite sure of “who you are,” then remember that reading is the fastest way to gain some significant insight. These books can help you discover what to take action on in order to figure out your true life’s work.
- Buy a diary and journal about what piques your interests, what puts you in the zone, and what hunches are coming to you. By journaling regularly, you can further solidify your personal mission statement. Start your journal entry with answering what you know to be true about the mind, the body, and the soul.
- Ask yourself the following questions, writing the answers in your journal or on a loose sheet of paper:
- What makes you unique?
- What kinds of things do you love?
- What lifts you up and makes you feel like taking action?
You may find that you end up with your health, wealth, and relationship goals all written out with an action plan to boot!
If you still find yourself struggling after following these tips, don’t worry at all! Just hold an image of your future self in your mind and then start reading and writing regularly.
We all move at different speeds, but I promise that this practice will bring you closer to your vision, even if you don’t quite know what it is yet. Just trust the process, stick with it, and start taking some “me” time directed at helping you find your personal North Star.
For More Support
I love clients who have gone through the process of identifying their inner strengths because they end up becoming so self-assured. Whether they work 50 hours a week or stay home with their kids, when people ask, “What do you do?” they are ready with an answer. Even if they haven’t published a book, they are confident calling themselves writers. Even if they have yet to secure a single client, they may be comfortable describing themselves as life coaches.
If you read my blog regularly, consider subscribing to my new podcast, The Military Spouse Show, for more support and additional tips. Or, if you would like some live coaching with me, join my mailing list and sign up for my monthly free teleclass: www.militaryspousecoach.com/events
You may even go to my client area on my website and download my list of values, choose an idea that sounds fun to you, brainstorm you potential work theme, and spend some time thinking about your military spouse legacy. I am also here if you’d like to schedule a one-on-one coaching session where we can co-create your personal mission statement.