10 Unconventional Ways to Figure Out Your True Calling

Without necessarily Meditating on a Mountain Top

Trying to “find your true calling” can feel like looking for a needle in a philosophical haystack. And while classic advice like “determine your values” or “write a mission statement” works for some, you might need something a little more…original.

So, if endless soul-searching has only left you with existential migraine, let’s start by looking for clues.

Because your life purpose isn’t something you stumble across accidentally; it’s something you uncover, design, evolve into, and refine over time. The clues? They’re hidden in plain sight, scattered throughout your life like breadcrumbs leading to something bigger.

True Calling Clues Hidden in Plain Sight

1. Your Secret Longings & Yearnings

Forget about what’s “practical.” What do you secretly wish you could do? What excites you so much that you lose track of time? That dream you brush off because it sounds ridiculous? That’s where you start looking.

We spend so much time shutting down our yearnings with “That’s not realistic” or “That will take too much time” that we don’t realise they’re often the blueprint for our purpose.

Ask yourself: If there were no limitations, what would I wake up excited to do every day?

2. Your Pain & Struggles

Pain is a terrible thing to waste. The hardships you’ve endured aren’t just scars—they’re guideposts.

Some of the most impactful missions are built on turning personal pain into purpose. Consider Viktor Frankl, who turned his suffering into a groundbreaking philosophy on how to live a meaningful life. Countless visionaries, including myself, have transformed their hardest battles into something that helps others.

Ask yourself: What hardship have I overcome that I could use to help others?

3. Your Unique Perspective & Experiences

No one has lived your life but you. That means your combination of experiences, skills, talents, discoveries and insights is entirely unique—and inestimably valuable.

The way you see the world, the knowledge you’ve accumulated, and the patterns you have developed? Those are clues. Often, solutions to problems you assume everyone else sees just as clearly as you do are actually your superpowers.

Ask yourself: What wisdom do I have that makes others frequently seek me out? What have I lived through that gives me wisdom others don’t have? How have my experiences shaped the way I see the world?

4. Your Natural Curiosity

You know those topics you could talk about for hours? The books you collect, the podcasts you devour, the subjects that make your eyes light up? That’s no accident. What problems do you feel compelled to solve?

Curiosity is a powerful compass. You may not have pursued it professionally (yet), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t pulling you toward something meaningful.

Ask yourself: What do I research or explore just for fun?

5. Your Flow States

The moments you lose track of time? When work doesn’t feel like work? That’s flow—and it’s a direct line to what you’re meant to be doing.

Too often, we dismiss these moments as “hobbies” or “side interests” because they seem too frivolous to be important. But if something gives you joy and intensifies your focus, it’s worth paying attention to.

Ask yourself: When do I feel most alive and effortlessly in sync with myself?

6. The Impact You Want to Have

What’s the thing that makes you want to roll up your sleeves and fix it? The cause, issue, or problem that sparks something in you?

Your purpose isn’t just about what you enjoy—it’s about how you contribute. True fulfillment comes from knowing that what you do matters, that it makes a difference in someone else’s life.

Ask yourself: If I could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

7. Your Energy Sources & Drains

We tend to focus on what we’re good at. But let’s flip the script: What energises you? What activities feel effortless?

Just because you’re skilled at something doesn’t mean it aligns with your purpose. If something drains you (even if you’re successful at it), it’s a sign that you may be misaligned.

Ask yourself: What activities leave me drained, even if I’m good at them?

8. Your Spiritual or Existential Beliefs

Do you believe you have a purpose beyond this existence? Whether you’re religious, spiritual, or a devout realist, your perspective shapes what fulfilment looks like for you.

Your purpose is deeply connected to what you believe life should be about.

Ask yourself: What truths or philosophies do I believe in?

9. Your Ideal Lifestyle & Work Environment

Purpose isn’t just about what you do—it’s also about how you live.

Some people thrive in structured environments; others need creativity and spontaneity. Some people prefer collaboration; others working solo. Do you need flexibility, creativity, or structure?

If your lifestyle and purpose aren’t aligned with who you are, you’ll always feel off.

Ask yourself: What kind of daily life and work environment inspires and empowers me?

10. Patterns in Your Life

Life is full of recurring themes—the same lessons, the same efforts, the same struggles. These patterns are like neon signs pointing toward your purpose.

Are you always mentoring people? Do you keep getting drawn to certain fields, even if you resist them? These are signals you shouldn’t ignore.

Ask yourself: What lessons or themes keep showing up in my life?

Where Do You Start?

Your life purpose isn’t something you “find” like a lost set of keys. It’s something you design by paying attention to the clues your life has been dropping all along.

You don’t have to figure it all out at once. Start with the question that resonates most. Follow that thread, and see where it leads.

If you’re ready to dive deeper and connect the dots between these clues, my online course, The Purpose Protocol, with or without additional one-on-one mentoring sessions, is designed to help you do exactly that.

Imagine waking up each day with a sense of purpose—no longer chasing success for its own sake, but creating real impact in a way that matters to you. Knowing your life purpose brings a profound sense of relief, fountains of energy, and solid self-confidence, replacing restlessness with direction and stagnation with wild inspiration. It liberates you from expectations, reconnects you with what brings you joy, and transforms success into something deeply meaningful. If you’re ready to trade uncertainty for clarity, The Purpose Protocol will guide you to uncover the mission you were meant to live.

This hybrid online course will give you the structure, insights, and tools to finally design your true purpose.

So if you’re ready to stop doubting and start living with intention, enrol in The Purpose Protocol online course today.

10 unconventional ways to unearth your true calling

1. Conduct a “Regret Autopsy”

Most people approach life purpose by looking forward. Instead, fast-forward to your 95-year-old self (who is hopefully sipping single malt whiskey and delighting in judging the youth of the day). What would Future You regret not having done? The businesses not started? The book not written? The adventures not embarked on? Regret has a funny way of shining a spotlight on what actually matters to us.

Try this: Make a “No Regrets” list—things that, if you never did them, would make you regretful. Those are the things worth prioritising.

2. Follow Your Envy

Ah, envy. The emotion we all pretend we don’t feel, yet all secretly nurse. But here’s the thing: envy is just s disguised form of what you really want.

Ask yourself: Who do you envy, and why? Is it their career? Their lifestyle? Their impact? If someone’s life makes you irrationally green with jealousy, that’s a clue to what you want. Instead of sulking, analyze it. Reverse-engineer it. Then go get it.

3. The “What Would You Teach?” Test

Imagine you’re told, “You have to give a TED Talk tomorrow. No prep time.”

What topic would you choose? Not because you’re the world’s leading expert, but because you already have so much to say. If you can passionately teach something off the cuff, it’s probably linked to your purpose.

Bonus test: What do your friends always ask for your advice on? If they keep coming to you for career insights, relationship advice, or how to make the perfect Negroni, that’s worth noting.

4. Ask: “What Would My 10-Year-Old Self Think?”

Picture yourself at ten—before you had bills, responsibilities, or a LinkedIn profile. What fascinated you back then? Dinosaurs? Space? Writing stories? Building skyscrapers with Legos?

Now, compare that to what you’re doing today. If your 10-year-old self would find your current life soul-crushingly boring, you might be off track. You don’t have to become an astronaut or a pirate, but the core interests you had as a kid might still be relevant—just in a grown-up form.

5. Conduct a Reverse Job Search

Most people look for jobs based on what they’re “qualified” for. But what if you did the opposite?

Go browse job boards—but this time, ignore your resume. Just click on anything that makes you say, “Ooooh, that sounds interesting.” It doesn’t matter if you’d need five PhDs and a minor miracle to land the job. The point is to find patterns in what excites you.

Look for themes: Are they all about creativity? Travel? Helping people? High-stakes decision-making? That’s where your real interests lie.

6. The “Desert Island Work” Question

Let’s say you’re exiled to a deserted island—but with one catch. You must work on something for the rest of your life. No pay. No audience. No external validation.

What would you still want to do? Write? Yay! That would be me! Build things? Teach? Solve puzzles? Create art? Whatever survives the no validation test is what truly excites you.

7. Track Your Tangents

Ever find yourself in a full-blown research rabbit hole at 2 AM, learning about something wildly unrelated to your job?

Take note of those things. The topics you obsessively Google, rant about, or could discuss for hours without getting bored? Those matter.

If you’re inexplicably fascinated by Renaissance architecture, neuroscience, or the migration patterns of arctic foxes, that’s a sign. Your life purpose may just be hiding in your browser history.

8. Pretend You’re Someone Else

Here’s a weird trick: pretend your best friend has come to you, lost and confused, asking you to help them find their life purpose. What advice would you give?

We tend to see other people’s potential far more clearly than our own. The dreams you’d encourage in someone else might just be the ones you’re meant to pursue yourself.

9. The “Irritation” Method

What bothers you the most in the world? Like, what issue makes your blood pressure spike when you see it happening?

People who can’t communicate properly? Businesses that treat employees like disposable cogs? The fact that most toasters still don’t have a setting between “barely warm” and “actual flames”?

If something consistently irritates you, chances are you’re meant to fix it. The things that enrage you often point to the things you care about the most.

10. Do Something Radically Different

Sometimes, you don’t find your purpose by thinking—you find it by doing. And if you’re stuck in the same routine, your brain is running the same stale algorithms.

So disrupt the pattern. Take a class in a subject you know nothing about. Travel somewhere completely unfamiliar. Attend a conference that has nothing to do with your career.

Shaking things up can jolt your brain into seeing new possibilities.

Final Thoughts

Your true calling isn’t something you find—it’s something you design. It’s ready to be created, nurtured, and unleashed. The unconventional paths you explore today could lead to the purpose-driven life you’ve always craved.

But why go it alone?

The iNFINITE iMPACT Mentoring Program is designed to help you break through doubt, tap into your brilliance, and turn your calling into a force for significant change. I’ll help you use your unique talents to build a purpose-driven life. If you’re ready to claim your purpose and create a lasting impact, let’s make it happen—together.

Send an email to OpenLockedDoors@gmail.com to discuss how the iNFINITE iMPACT Mentoring Program can empower you to start living the life you’re meant to live!