A) do something that you love to do, or

b) do something that you're good at.

And if you're really lucky, it would involve both of these. That isn't too difficult to accomplish, right?

So why the endless, great, and mysterious search for the true calling in life?

If you could do anything at all, without the chance of failure, then figuring out what to do with your life would be a simple matter. Many people have an answer when it's put that way.

So again, why are most people hunting for their calling in life?

The two most substantial reasons for this are:

1) The basic fear factor. If you're similar to me, then you've always known exactly what you wanted to do with your life. But for whatever reason, you just can't bring yourself to do it. Possibly you took the wrong job right out of high school or college based on circumstances such as the loss of another job, the lure of big money, or the advice of someone else , etc. As your life moved on, you've come to accept things as they are, stuck, or even frightened to make a change. You start to make excuses as to why you can't do this or why that will never work. Or.....

2) Maybe you truly don't know what you want to do with your life. Now, this is the hardest one to understand but it happens and might even apply to you.

Now, I know what you're looking for and why you've come here. Yes, you can have exactly what you're looking for. However, I won't try to give you a magic formula like so many people try to do. I've said it before and I'll say it again, career testing and self assessments alone are great self-discovery tools but they're not going to tell you any more than you already know about yourself.

Moving On

I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't know at least what a few of your talents and abilities are. Trust yourself. You've been alive long enough to have some understanding of what turns you on, makes you tick, and what you can and can't do. If not, you need to stop, sit down, and take some time to figure out who you are. Be completely honest with yourself and you'll come up with some completely honest answers.

If it helps, try making a list

I know. I know. Another list?!? But it might prove useful to you.

Make a list of jobs that appeal to you. If you need assistance with this, you can find an alphabetical list of occupations, their definitions, and earnings stats on my site.

Make a list of what you enjoy and what you excel at. Don't leave anything out, include hobbies, passions, and anything else you do in your spare time. Your hobbies and passions could be your key to your true calling.

Now make the same list again. But make this one as if it was five years ago. Ten years ago. Add everything you can think of. You can make a career out of almost everything. Then pick the top few, the ones that feel the best, and you've got a place to start.

You've just taken the first steps in solving your problem.

The reason that the majority of people miss their goal in life is that they don't work to uncover ways to make their bread and butter doing what they enjoy or what they excel at. They think that it's impossible.

So, what's your life goal?

For most of the people who have lucrative and rewarding lives, the answer is simple. Follow this basic philosophy:

"Do what you love and the rest will take care of itself"