Circle One:  What you love

What type of work do you like doing?  Are you a hands-on, check-it-off-the-list kind of person or do you prefer more unstructured and creative types of work?  Don’t just think tasks, but also the kind of environment and culture you enjoy functioning in (e.g. team-based vs. individual, behind-the-scenes vs. in the spotlight, etc.).  For a simple and accurate assessment on your personality, I like www.16personalities.com.

Circle Two:  What you are good at

You’re not good at everything, but you definitely have some skills.  What have you learned to do well? What have others affirmed and seen in you?  You can start with what comes naturally to you, but you are not limited to that.  You can always expand this circle as you learn new skills in the future.

Circle Three:  What the world needs

If you want to do work that is meaningful and valuable, you will somehow be meeting a need or solving a problem for people.  You can’t solve all the problems in the world or meet everyone’s needs, but you can solve some of them.  Which would you like it to be?  A physical need, a relational need, an emotional need, a spiritual need, or maybe something else?  This could be a global issue such as poverty and the need for fresh water, or it could be as simple as, “People need houses, and I would like to meet that need by building homes.”

Circle Four:  What you can be paid for

Here’s where it gets real.  You may find a problem that you’re passionate and skilled at solving, but if you cannot generate an income through it, you have not found a career; you have found a volunteer position.  This is great.  Go do it!  After work hours, though.  This circle is all about the different ways that you can make money.  I’m not into blindly chasing wealth, but in order to meet the career-worthy test, you have to be able to monetize what you are hoping to do.

Filling in the Circles

Begin by jotting down a few ideas into each circle.  You’ll quickly begin to realize that not all of your ideas overlap very nicely.  You might enjoy something, but are not good at it; you might be good at something but not really enjoy it, or you may be able to make money doing something but it doesn’t add any real value to our world.  

As you begin writing down ideas, don’t worry about only recording down items that fit the sweet spot.  That comes later.  For now, just start filling in those circles.

Once you’ve got a good start on this, begin to look at which themes from each circle seem to overlap and “fit together.”  Write these down at the intersection of the 4 circles.  This is your “sweet spot.” 

Contrary to what some believe, however, there is not only one option that lives in this intersection.  There are a vast number of opportunities available to us, and as you gain new skills, discover new interests, and become aware of new needs, the list will only get longer.

This concept is a not a magic bullet, but combined with a good deal of self-awareness and talking to those who know you best (and, if you’re a believer, a great deal of conversation with Jesus), it can help you clarify the path in front of you.

What’s Your Take?

Have you found your sweet spot?  What has the process looked like for you?  Share your wisdom with us in the comments below.

Whatever you do, don’t get stuck in a job where you’re simply waiting for retirement.  Tomorrow is not promised to us.  You can love what you do today.

Thanks for being here,

Dan