Do You Have a Professional Calling?
Learn what defines a calling, dispel some myths, and explore the downsides of having one.
Research finds that working adults with a calling tend to be more committed to their jobs and organizations, feel their work is a strong fit for their personal preferences, and are more likely to find meaning at work. They also tend to be more satisfied with life in general.
And while individuals across all income and education levels were equally likely to perceive they have a calling, individuals with higher levels of education and income were more likely to feel they were actually living it out.
Research on “unanswered” callings reveals that individuals often describe regret at not fulfilling a calling or stress from trying to fulfill it solely outside of their job.
Did you ever wonder if your passion for meaningful work is actually a calling?
Callings Go Beyond Career Fulfillment
A calling is more than a meaningful career and is characterized by 3 elements.
Element #1
The first criteria for a calling is that there is a “summons” or “source” of the call such as a passion, duty to society, destiny, or legacy.
Element #2
The second aspect of a professional calling is that it aligns with the individual’s broader sense of Purpose. Or, some people would actually say that a calling could be the same as an individual’s Purpose.
Element #3
And the final component of a professional calling is the use of one’s career to directly or indirectly help others or to serve the greater good. We might refer to this a prosocial motivation or orientation.
If you thought you might have a professional calling, does it fit the three criteria?
Myths About Callings
Several myths about professional callings are lingering out there and I’d like to dispel them now.
Myth #1
First of all, it’s been decades since a calling was reserved for religious occupations or required a higher power. That’s just not the case now.
Myth #2
The second myth is that you either have a calling or you don’t. In reality, callings exist on a continuum with one end not having any sort of calling for your career, and the other end having a very strong summons, purpose, and prosocial orientation. Many people fall somewhere between the two extremes.
Myth #3
The third myth is that you’ll “discover” your calling at a point in time and know it with 100% clarity thereafter. In reality, a calling is often an ongoing process that unfolds over time. You get more clarity as you pursue it. You refine what it means to fulfill it, given your experiences, resources, and preferences.
Myth #4
The final myth is that once you know your calling, it doesn’t change. In fact, a calling can change or evolve over time. You can even have a particular calling for one period of time, and a totally different one later in your career.
Does the above change the way you perceive whether or not you have a calling?
The Downside of Having a Calling
While it is natural to focus on the positive aspects of a professional calling, there are some potential risks we want to highlight.
Overwork, workaholism, self-sacrifice, and over-identification with work are four common pitfalls experienced by passionate individuals pursuing a calling. Add that to someone who is a motivated, driven, high-performer … and burnout can be right around the corner.
Additionally, intrinsically motivated individuals (e.g., those with a calling) are at risk for:
lower compensation or other workplace rewards,
exploitation in the form of being asked to do more difficult or unpleasant duties than others, and
taking on a disproportionate workload.
So, if you know you have a professional calling, please keep all this in mind and protect your healthy boundaries. And if you’re a leader and know your staff have professional callings, be sure to be on the lookout for their overwork, self-sacrifice, and over-identification with work.
If you have a calling, have you experienced the downsides?
Final Thoughts on Callings
It’s not better or worse to have a calling. You can certainly be fulfilled by meaningful work and not have a calling.
The downsides of having one can be serious and are not to be taken lightly.
Behind the Scenes of MOTIVATED AF
A glimpse into what it takes to write, publish, launch, and perpetuate this book.
I need some anecdotes and personal examples to round out the manuscript for MOTIVATED AF: Align Your Inner Drive for Performance and Fulfillment without Burning Out before it goes to a developmental editor.
As such, I’ve been running some surveys and I thought I’d share one of the questions about Purpose.
It’s interesting to me that in the sample of people that have taken it so far, everyone either knows what their Purpose is, knows they have one but is a bit unclear on it, or hopes they have one. No one answered that they used to have one but now don’t, or don’t believe they have one. But I know those people do exist.
You’re Invited to Take this Survey
If you’re game, I’d love to hear your personal perspective on Purpose. Your answers are anonymous unless you choose to provide your contact information. Here is the page with all the details.
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Katherine ✨
