If you have a sense of calling and need clarity on alignment and next steps, look for the intersection of four dimensions in you life: what you’re really good at, what moves and inspires you, what problems you care about, and what trends and opportunities are available to you to act on these today.

Here are some guide questions:

What moves and inspires you? What activities do you do for free? What activities do you do that feel like time goes by? What fills you and feels like self-expression? What do you do that makes you feel like more yourself?

What are you good at? What problems do people come to you for? What are you naturally gifted at? What is so natural and obvious to you that isn’t obvious to most? What are the talents and skills you see passed down in three generations of your family?

What problems do you care about? What do you encounter every day that you wish someone would do something about? Who are the people experiencing this problem? What is the story of the problem for them?

What are the opportunities in front of you? What are the market trends that inform your skills and pain points? Who is doing what you want to do? What work is being funded? What opportunities in front of you today can you take advantage of in the next two weeks?

Sometimes all four dimensions come together and the intersection or calling is immediately clear. All four dimensions don’t have to come together. Looking deeply at the dimensions, though, tends to open up possibilities and lead towards clarity.