There’s a big difference between being good at something and discovering your true passions and life’s work. While I think I intuitively already knew this, I didn’t realize how large the chasm between the two is until I experienced it firsthand for myself.

Despite being exceptionally successful in my corporate career, in early 2006 I finally admitted to myself that something just wasn’t working. I felt stressed and it was beginning to take a toll on my health and my mental well-being. I felt like I was simply going through the motions of life and was not walking my life’s path. It was like being lost inside a rainforest with no guide, no clear path or direction. The faster I tried to run, the more I realized that I was just wandering aimlessly.

And then on that fateful day back in 2006, I came into work and found myself in that same rainforest, yet I was standing on the precipice of a towering cliff. The organization I had worked for had just been acquired. While admittedly, I had an offer to stay on with the new company, that theoretical lifeline piece of paper (complete with a non-compete) held no appeal for me whatsoever.

Instantly, what I needed to do became clear to me. I knew that I had to take that giant leap of faith in myself and that only in the free fall would I discover my passions and ultimately, my life’s work. It was clear that I wanted to do something far bigger with my life. I knew that whatever that might be, I wanted it to be an expression of my greatest gifts. I wanted to be extremely passionate about it and ultimately, the lines between my personal and professional life would blur.

In other words, I no longer wanted to dread Sunday evenings knowing that I’d have to ‘work’ on Monday mornings. I wanted to wake up each day and embrace each moment of my life while being in service to others.

From that point on, my career as an entrepreneur, consultant and coach began to unfold almost magically. There was a new sense of being connected to something far greater than myself that brought a renewed sense of spirit and a vibrant aliveness into my life. 

Today, I coach many business professionals that have the same feelings as I had of being stressed, stuck and out of alignment with their passions and their life’s work. We dive deep into their unique strengths, gifts, passions and hidden potential. They become a new observer of how they have been showing up in the world versus how they would choose to show up in the world. As we do the deep work, oftentimes, the people in their circles begin to notice the subtle changes.

A wonderful way to discover what you maybe passionate about is through a process of reflection on your life to date. What did you love to do before the age of 12? What were you passionate about in school? What have you been passionate about in your career? What is in your current family life excites you? How can you get paid to do what you love? And, who are your inspirations or heroes? From there, you can begin to look at all the patterns and trends across the various areas of your life and begin to look at your meta-passions. For me, my meta-passions were leadership, relationships, adventure, and creativity.

In order to discover your life’s work, you must know where you are going. If you want to go to Canada you don’t set out in the direction of Mexico. One exercise that is fabulous for setting direction is one that I call, Defining Your Northern Star or in other words, your guiding star. My coach at the time, Rich Litvin taught it to me and he calls it, The Probable, Possible and Impossible. 

You first define what is very probable in terms of your life’s work. The second step is to take what is probable and add to it by stating what may be possible. The third step is to define what feels absolutely impossible about your life’s work. I always record my client’s as I take them through this process. We then listen to what they defined as impossible. Oftentimes, it doesn’t sound all that ominous any longer. I then challenge them to take it a step further until it truly feels impossible. That then becomes their Northern Star or the direction they are headed. Now, because they have set a clear direction what happens next is they begin to awaken to all the possibilities, conversations, connections and circumstances that are waiting for them on their path toward their Northern Star.  

Every situation is unique and depending on the individual and their tolerance for risk, sometimes it is better to learn how to function in the midst of dysfunction while seeking your path of passion. It takes time and deep work to uncover your heart’s calling. I had a client that did the deep coaching with me for over six months until he could clearly see his vision for his career path. From that point, he entertained multiple offers for over a year all the while improving his leadership skills, relationships and career satisfaction inside his current position until he came across the opportunity that was most in alignment with his vision and passions.

I have also had other clients that take the “hero’s journey” as I did. They take the leap of faith and in the free fall with clear intention to discover their heart’s desire.

You alone will know when you are ready.

For me, the discovery of my passion for coaching was in such clear alignment with every other aspect of my life. I knew that coaching was my ‘home-stretch’ career and that I would be amongst the best in the profession. I also knew that the money would follow. My life and my career are now one. I no longer resent ‘working’. Learning how to improve my skills as a coach by traveling to coaching intensives over long weekends feels like vacation time for me. I get to create the schedule for my life. In the summertime, I coach walk with my clients or hang-out with them in my treehouse and it feels glorious. I have to pinch myself sometimes just to see if I’m truly living this incredible life.

I would hope that many of you have already discovered your life’s work just like I have – that you bound out of bed each morning because you can’t wait to get going and do what you truly love to do.

If you have not, I’d encourage you to embark on that deep inner-journey of discovering for yourself your life’s work. Who do you want to be? What do you want to create? Will you take the free-fall approach? Or, will you be more methodical like my client was? This is the story of my version of following my passions and finding my life’s work. What is your story?

Imagine the freedom and everlasting joy you will create in your life as a result. Because that is indeed the key to never having to ‘work’ a day in your life again.