The journey to self discovery is a journey. A few people are blessed early on with a gift of knowing why they exist. Some refer to it as your why, calling, purpose, or Life’s Task, a term coined by Robert Greene. Studies show that almost 80 percent of people experience purpose anxiety, a depressing struggle to define their life’s purpose.1
Calling or “Life’s Task” is what makes you feel your life is meaningful. It represents your unique purpose in this world. It means reconnecting with deep childhood interests and natural inclinations, leading to fulfillment, mastery and persistence in your chosen path. It involves applying your unique skills to find your niche, which in turn brings deep joy and direction in your life.
Calling gives you a sense of purpose. For some, calling can be found in their career. For others – especially women – calling can be found in raising children. What ever your calling is, it uses your skills and talents while aligning with your values. The truest way to discover your calling is to start with your childhood and adolescence. You will begin to connect to who you were as a child. Returning to those strong powerful emotions you experienced during adolescence will be key to revealing your calling.
Action: Take a journal and write down all your dreams and aspirations. Once you start writing, memories will surface. Ask yourself, “What made me so different? What was I attracted to?” The key to self discovery is to become an archeologist of your own past. A detective searching for clues.
Robert talks about finding your calling in his book Mastery. His key ideas include:
1. Discover Your Life’s Task
Everyone has a unique calling i.e., Life’s Task. Your Life’s Task is something deeply personal, often tied to childhood interests or natural inclinations. To find it:
- Reflect on what fascinated you as a child.
- Identify activities that put you in a state of flow.
- Recognize what naturally holds your attention over time.
Ask yourself:
- What is the work you can’t not do?
- What impact do you want to have and leave?
- What matters the most to you?
- What inspires you to do inspiring work daily?
- Why are you doing the work you are doing?
- What are your strengths?
- What are you good at and passionate about?
2. Follow Your Own Path (Not Society’s Expectations)
Robert warns against conforming to societal pressures or chasing money/status at the cost of your true interests. Many people ignore their calling because they fear stepping outside the norm for the fear of being ridiculed. Many never discover their calling because they chase external influences such as recognition, notoriety, money, prestige, etc.
3. The Apprenticeship and Experimentation
Mastery requires an intense learning period where you humble yourself and develop skills. During this phase:
- Work under mentors and absorb their knowledge.
- Learn through observation, practice, and failure.
- Build resilience by pushing through challenges.
Sometimes, your calling isn’t obvious. Robert suggests experimenting with different paths while paying attention to what excites and motivates you. Many masters, like Darwin or Leonardo da Vinci, explored multiple interests before finding their niche.
We have been made to believe that specialization in a single field will lead to the greatest results. However, through his book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, David Epstein argues that a diverse range of experience and skills – generalism – is often a significant advantage, especially in complex, unpredictable fields. It allows an individual to connect broad knowledge from different domains to solve problems creatively.
4. Combine Your Skills in a Unique Way and Trust the Process
If the discovery of your Life’s Task involves investing your time and energy into several unrelated domains, do it! Remember, that you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. The more well-rounded you may be, the more opportunities you have to succeed.
True mastery comes when you blend various skills and experiences into something uniquely yours. Robert calls this the “Creative-Active” phase, where you stop following and start innovating. He emphasizes that mastery takes time—often 10+ years of dedication. Those who embrace the long game and persist through difficulties are the ones who succeed.
“The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking, don’t settle.” Steve Jobs
Disclaimer: Image was reproduced by ChatGPT 5.2.
