Generally speaking, when we hear the term “finding one’s way”, we think of “finding one’s way… professionally”. But in my opinion, the professional side is simply a consequence, one result among many, for those who have found their way, in the sense of a “life mission”.

The question is, how do you do it?

That’s what I suggest you take a look at in this article.

For those of you in a hurry, I’d sum up this objective as follows: “it’s by doing what you love, using your talents, being in tune with your values and listening to your intuition that you know you’re on your life path”

Let’s take a closer look at these 4 elements of finding your path.

FINDING YOUR WAY BY DOING WHAT YOU LOVE
I want to find my way… Well, when you put it like that, it sounds like a trite statement, I’ll give you that. But underneath the apparent simplicity of this goal, there are some slightly more complex notions worth taking a little time to explore.

Doing what you love means first and foremost knowing what gives you pleasure. Pleasure is the feeling that comes from the emotion of Joy, and corresponds to the satisfaction of a physical, emotional or intellectual need. Note that pleasure is also experienced after the satisfaction of a desire (or even a whim). So one of the first questions to ask yourself about this famous source of pleasure is to distinguish between your needs and your desires.

Examples

Is one of your priority needs stimulation (whether intellectual or physical)? Then you’ll probably find pleasure in thinking about complex subjects or challenging yourself physically.
Is one of your priority needs recognition? Then your sources of pleasure may lie in activities where you become your own work tool. From there, the people to whom you make this tool available (i.e. yourself), will show you a form of gratitude and recognition.
In short, you’ll have understood that the first step in finding your way is to be clear about your needs, and to draw out the sources of motivation and pleasure associated with them.

FINDING YOUR PATH BY BEING ALIGNED WITH YOUR VALUES
The second way to find your path is to find your value system and act in line with it.

Your value system is the compass that guides you through life. It tells you whether a situation you’re experiencing, a choice you’re about to make, an action you’re taking (or being asked to take), is OK for you.

Being clear about your values means being aware of what’s important to you in life, or more specifically in your activity. Finding a path is good, but finding YOUR path, i.e. finding the path that suits you, is better. It’s precisely the one that’s consistent with what’s important to you.

Examples:

One of the fundamental values of your value system is sharing. As a result, your path will take you in the direction of activities where you are in contact with others, where you can exchange with them, carry out joint projects, work as part of a team, and so on.
If, on the other hand, one of your fundamental values is Independence, it’s a safe bet that your path will take you in the direction of more solitary activities where you’re the only one in charge, and where you’re not accountable to anyone for the decisions you make.
These two examples are not mutually exclusive. There are no good or bad values, only things that seem more important than others to you in order to be at peace with yourself at a given moment.

FIND YOUR WAY BY RELYING ON YOUR TALENTS
No, talents aren’t just for people who do extraordinary things that ordinary people can’t do. You too are exceptional. You just may not be aware of it, or you may be looking in the wrong place.

Your talents lie precisely where others struggle to achieve what you do with ease. And it’s precisely because these things seem easy to do that you don’t see them as the result of your talents.

Examples:

Are you the one your loved ones naturally turn to when they need to confide in you or share their difficulties? Perhaps you have a talent for listening and empathy.
Can you manage a thousand things at once without the slightest effort? Perhaps you have a real talent for organization.
Can you see all the links between the various elements of a situation? Perhaps your talent for global analysis is an integral part of you.
Your day-to-day life is full of situations which, when examined in detail, show that you mobilize several talents every day.

To find your way, the idea is to make an inventory of the talents you possess and which you can consciously mobilize for a project that’s particularly close to your heart.

HOW TO FIND YOUR PATH BY LISTENING TO YOUR INTUITION
The last and perhaps most subjective way to find your path is to listen to your intuition.

I’ve lost count of the number of clients I’ve coached who, almost word for word, have uttered this phrase:

“Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed of [name an activity]. It’s something I’ve always had deep down inside me, and I get really excited when I think about it. But I went down a different path to please [identify the person(s) who put an end to the project]. As a result, today I feel [feelings of anger or sadness]. I’d so much like to (re)find the path I’ve strayed from, but today I think [limiting beliefs related to self, others or circumstances]”. etc. etc.

What I usually do with clients who come with this type of request is to reconnect them first with their childhood dreams, with their little inner voice that whispers to them that they’re here for something other than what they’re doing.

I also invite them to become aware of the signs that have emerged, or are still emerging, in their daily lives, shedding light on the path they’ve never allowed themselves to follow.