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I often see people put an overwhelming amount of pressure on themselves, struggling to answer one question: What is my one true calling? I talk with people who feel lost in the confusion around finding that perfect job, business idea, or strategy for marketing art that is going to finally make them happy and excited each day.

It’s All Relative

We all have had that internal conversation with ourselves growing up about whether we should be an accountant or a fireman or any other job. Yet, as I was talking to my partner about a client, we got on the subject of soulmates. That’s when it hit me. So many of us have this “finding your calling” thing all wrong. Finding your one true calling, just like finding your one true soulmate, is not how real life works.

We seem to have these beliefs that there’s this one true position or job out there for us to find in order to feel satisfied. There’s one true person for us to fall in love with. We all have that urge inside of us to seek out the fairy tale ending where you find “the one.”  The story ends happily ever after. However, I am a firm believer that we don’t just have one soulmate forever or one perfect job forever. I believe that you will find that you have a different soulmate or soul-career for different parts of your life.

In the span of your love life, you may have had your high school sweetheart and whirlwind college romance. In your professional life, you might have had your high school babysitting job, first college internship, and the entry-level position right after graduating. All of the different jobs you had helped you learn more about yourself, why you are on this planet, and about your past relationships. I am not a relationship expert, so I won’t give out any advice on your love life. However, when it comes to your professional life, your task is not to find your one true calling. Your only task is to find your calling for who you are at this moment. To do that, look for your purpose.

Find Your Purpose, Not Your Calling

Your purpose and your calling often get used interchangeably, but I believe there is an important distinction. A calling is a job, a purpose is the reason you are on this earth. Your calling will change because it is a specific position, but your purpose is vague and will likely remain the same.

For instance, my purpose is helping others. It led me to my current calling, starting the Stress Less Company and helping hundreds of people find work that makes them happy. Your purpose may be using math to solve the world’s problems. This could lead to a calling of being a NASA scientist or a financial analyst. The possibilities that exist within your purpose are endless.

Your Challenge

I challenge you to take the pressure of finding one true calling off of your shoulders. Instead, think about your purpose. Think about what traits and skills you uniquely have that can contribute something to the world. Think about why you are on this earth. Approach your career with your purpose in mind. All of the opportunities you have will lay themselves out in front of you for you to choose.

Your choice is not predestined for you. You have free will to choose one calling today and another calling two years from now. We each have a path ahead of us that is made up of different callings and that is okay. It is okay if we shift to calling after calling, it’s okay if we stay in one calling for years. What isn’t okay is settling for a calling that goes against your purpose. That’s why you’re here on this earth, after all.

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Carlee Myers is the Founder of the Stress Less Company. She is an expert at helping people use art and creativity in order to find their passion again. As a firm believer in creativity, Carlee helps people find their purpose in life through a combination of coaching, creative expression, and experiential activities.