Throughout history, work has been regarded as man's central activity. Variously described as a punishment, a burden, an obligation or a virtuous activity, it has been the means by which many have traditionally identified themselves, even to their very names -- Farmer, Smith, Cooper. Work always came first. It was the time away from it, our "spare time," that was left for leisure pursuits. And even those were influenced by the kind of work we did, or how much we were paid for it.

Sometimes the job captures the person even after quitting time. Most of us are probably aware of instances when an individual's preoccupation with work affects their attitude toward all of life. In his best- selling book Working, Studs Terkel tells about former actress Geraldine Page, who recalled a conversation with a backstage visitor during her run in the play, Sweet Bird Of Youth.

"I was sitting in the front row and looking up," said the visitor, who was a dentist. "Most of the time I was studying the fillings in your mouth. I'm curious to know who's been doing your dental work."

It wasn't that the dentist didn't love the theater, but that he loved dentistry more. He is the kind of person Robert Louis Stevenson had in mind when he said, "If a man love the labour of any trade apart from any question of success or fame, God has called him."

But how can you find a trade where you "love the labour"? It may not be as difficult as one might think. Take Alice, for example. Alice came to my office complaining about the lack of vision and purpose in her career. Although she found parts of her job rewarding, it wasn't providing the real excitement that she desired from her work. When I asked her what activity made her lose all track of time, she surprised me with her response. "Oh, that's easy," she said. "The thing that I really lose myself in is decorating my house. I have even had friends ask me to redecorate rooms in their homes, and they are always amazed at the results."

At her core, Alice needed a creative outlet for her artistic abilities, something she was not getting enough of at work. We began to explore realistic outlets for her creativity that would allow her to earn an income at the same time. Alice decided to start a part-time business as an interior decorator, in addition to her current job, and then reevaluate in six months. She left my office feeling as if she was finally closer to the job that she could call her mission.

Ultimately, those who recognize the importance of keeping their careers in balance with the personal, relational and spiritual sides of life, are the people who seem most satisfied and report a sense of purpose and meaning in the work they perform. Conversely, those people who approach their careers with tunnel vision and fail to cultivate that delicate balance, lose the true meaning of just how important God intended work to be. And our purpose, our calling, is to be good stewards of the gifts and abilities we have been given by exercising them to their fullest.

The most obvious question, then, is: "How do you find your mission in life?"

In his annually updated, best-selling book, What Color Is Your Parachute?, Richard Bolles suggests that finding your mission in life is not something to be learned in a book but learned in stages as you live your life each day. In essence, finding your mission requires that you:

1. Use the talents and gifts that you were endowed with . . .

2. . . . in the place where your values and interests lead you to use them . . .

3. . . . for those purposes toward which you feel most strongly pulled.

Take my client Charles, for example. He approached his career development in an organized and deliberate way, with a specific goal in mind: finding a career that he loves and that enables him to pursue his mission in life.

Charles had taken a new job as district supervisor in the food and beverage industry, and almost immediately he became aware that the job was not what he thought. Now he wanted some feedback on how to get back on track. We looked at his career change in three simple steps.

First, Charles needed a personal inventory. He underwent career testing to help him identify personal skills, interests and values:

• Skills are natural talents or learned abilities.
• Interests are personal preferences that can be expressed in any environment or setting.
• Values are that which a person finds desirable, such as money, respect or recognition.

I also interviewed Charles to get a broader picture of his work history, education and life experience. Then I combined these findings into a profile of Charles' likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses.

Second, we discussed things such as job satisfaction, travel responsibilities, amount of supervision, amount of interaction with co- workers, office environment and pay. Charles discovered that although he enjoyed the travel and office environment in his job, he wasn't receiving enough direct supervision (important because he was new in his position), and he found that interaction with his co-workers was minimal. Furthermore, he always enjoyed the hands-on, technical aspects of his job and found his new responsibilities as a supervisor to be routine and unrewarding.

Third, Charles determined whether or not his present job matched his personal inventory of skills, interests and values. It became clear that Charles was not compatible with his job, and he felt relieved when this information confirmed it. However, this created a new dilemma. Which job should he choose?

What really seemed to be missing was a sense of purpose, or design, for his life. He knew that the status quo defined satisfaction and success as making the most money with the most impressive title or position. But deep in his heart, Charles was realizing that these measures of accomplishment just didn't address the unique purpose he felt compelled to fulfill. Eventually, it occurred to Charles that fulfillment doesn't always correspond with personal gain and recognition.

This kind of thoughtful evaluation is too uncommon among those seeking to find their niche in the world of work. What Charles later learned, and this was perhaps his most important discovery, was that work can be much more than what is done eight hours a day, five days a week. It can be a calling that corresponds with finding your mission in life. And people who understand that a career is a calling can better balance it with other areas of life.

What about you? Have you found your mission? Have you found a job you love to do no matter how much money you make? And most important, have you found the God who designed you for a purpose? This is your first mission in life.

Dr. Neal Carter is a career/life planning counselor and psychological resident in Winter Park, Fla. He also serves as an adjunct instructor in the graduate school at Troy State University and teaches at Valencia Community College. He and his wife, Lynette, have one son.

If you are interested in assessing your strengths, abilities and interests, listed are some organizations that offer personal and vocational counseling and several books that offer insight into this area.

People Management International, Ltd.
924 First St., Suite A
Snohomish, WA 98290
phone: 360-563-0105
fax: 360-563-0106

Career Pathways
P.O. Box 1476
Gainesville, GA 30503-1476
phone: 1-800-722-1976

Bolles, Richard Nelson, What Color is Your Parachute?, Ten
Speed Press, 1995 (1970).

Ellis, Lee and Larry Burkett, Your Career in Changing Times,
Moody Press, 1993.

Ellis, Lee and Larry Burkett, Finding the Career That Fits
You (workbook), Moody Press, 1994.

Frahm, David and Paula Rinehart, The Great Niche Hunt,
NavPress, 1991.

McCarthy, Kevin, On Purpose Person, Riverside World Small
Publications, 1992.