Career Advice for Anyone Feeling Stuck: How to Find Your True Calling and Build a Successful Career

Career advice for anyone feeling stuck in life

Career advice for anyone feeling stuck in life starts with a hard truth: if you’re in a job that anyone can do and you stay there too long, you’ll be left with no specialized skills when layoffs come. Looking back, I totally wasted my 20s because I had no one speaking anything positive or beneficial to me. I worked in a restaurant alongside a part-time radio gig, then got married and stepped into a data entry role at Lab Corp—entering data via a number pad for 8 hours a day, just flipping through drug tests and punching in numbers.

The problem with this approach to life is that when you’re faced with the unfortunate circumstances of being laid off, you realize you were left void of any skill set to move forward. You don’t have any particular place to go after that. If you’re in a job that’s not specialized and really anyone can do it, and you stay there for too long, when your days are over there, you have nowhere to go.

The turning point that changed everything

I didn’t go to school for anything particular. I worked jobs that could be replaced easily, and when they announced they were laying off our entire department except my boss and me, I knew my days were numbered. In all this, my wife was my biggest asset. She kept telling me, “Hey, you’re fixing everyone’s computers in the office. You spend a lot of time on computers at home. Why don’t you do some training in computers or programming?”

She said this multiple times over those years, but I worked around very unambitious people 8 hours a day and just thought it was impossible. Looking back, she was right all along. In those latter years in that job, I started reading, I started studying, I learned to write code, and I got into software development. The turning point for me was a diagram that radically changed my mindset on what I should be doing with my life.

The three-component framework for finding your calling

When I talk to anyone in a similar situation, especially people in their early 20s who have no clue what to do with their lives, what their calling is, how to make money, or how to build a career that’s in demand, I now point them to this resource. There are three key items that help you determine your calling, and all three components have to be here. If not, you’ll either hate your job, you’ll be broke, or you’ll forever be in and out of work.

Component 1: Passion

First, there’s passion. Everyone has something they’re passionate about—computers, business, finances, building things, debating, caring for people. Whatever it is, every person has activities that fire them up. It’s what excites them, what makes them tick. The problem though is that passion alone doesn’t pay. If I’m passionate about collecting baseball cards, that’s great, but it probably won’t put me in any successful career.

In addition, if you aren’t passionate about something, over time you’ll begin to hate what you do. Sure, it may pay good, and sure, you might be good at it, but if you hate what you do every day, what good is the job?

Component 2: Proficiency

Second is proficiency—what are you good at? As my wife kept telling me, I was good at all things computers. I was also passionate about it, but both of these are not always the case. Many people are good at things that they hate doing. When you’re good at something, people always come to you, and if you hate doing it, you’ll be like, “Ah, not again.”

There’s an auto mechanic in my area that’s really good at what he does, but he complains non-stop. Every time you go in there, it’s just negativity and dread. But on the other hand, if you’re passionate about something but not at all good at it, you won’t succeed either.

Component 3: Profitability

Finally, there’s profitability. Is the career a profitable career? If you have that passion for collecting baseball cards and you’re proficient and you know all the ins and outs of all the years and brands, but you can’t make money doing it, then it’s not a good pursuit. This is actually called a hobby.

So if you have a passion—say, serving people and helping people get well—and you’re proficient at it—say, you went to nursing school and you passed with flying colors—then you need to check if it’s profitable. Nursing pays good because they’re always in demand. Check all three—are they there?

The intersection of all three components

Sure, you may work jobs here and there over the years, and that’s fine. Passion can come later over the importance of a paycheck. Let me be clear: being a hard worker, a person who is productive and honest, goes a long way. Many of us work jobs we hate for a while to pay the bills—that’s a good thing. Passion is an end goal and can come later.

But you eventually want to reach this intersection where you have passion for what you do, you’re good at what you do, and it’s a profitable industry that’s in demand. If you have the passion for something and you’re good at it but it’s not a profitable career, you’ll be poor. If you have the passion for something and it pays good but you suck at it, you’ll be fired and poor. And if you’re good at something and it pays well but you hate what you do every single day, then you’ll just be a miserable person.

How to apply this framework to your life

So where are you at today? Think about these three things. First, what are you good at? Ask people—often it’s glaringly obvious to everyone but you. Put a list together of some things that you’re good at.

Second, what do you love doing? What excites you when you get to work on it? What topics excite you? Maybe it’s something that you haven’t done in a long time but always have had in the back of your mind. Make a list of a few of these things.

Finally, take these two lists and cross off the things that aren’t profitable. For me, I loved computers, I was good at computers—and actually, this goes way back to high school—and then finally, the role of software developer is a profitable career. It pays good, so here I am in my vocational calling.

Real-world applications of the framework

This sort of diagram can help you in many walks of life. Let me give you two examples. First, think about college degrees. Let’s say you love theater, you’re good at it, and you go to college for it, to then get out with a ton of debt and no market for that sort of thing. That’s just a hobby.

Or take graphic design, fashion design, art, photography, tourism degrees. You may love these hobbies and interests and are wise and knowledgeable about them, but there’s no market. So just following this chart can save you tons of money in college debt alone.

The importance of choosing your environment wisely

Looking back, I totally wasted my 20s because I had no one in my early 20s speaking anything positive or beneficial to me. When they say to choose your friends wisely, they’re not lying. I worked around very unambitious people 8 hours a day and just thought it was impossible to change my situation.

The people you surround yourself with have a profound impact on your mindset and your ability to see opportunities. If you’re constantly around people who are negative, unambitious, or stuck in their own limiting beliefs, it’s going to be much harder to break out of that cycle and pursue something better.

The danger of staying too long in the wrong job

The biggest danger is staying too long in a job that doesn’t develop your skills or advance your career. If you’re in a role that anyone can do, and you stay there for years without developing specialized skills, you’re setting yourself up for a difficult situation when that job ends.

The longer you stay in a job that doesn’t challenge you or help you grow, the harder it becomes to transition to something better. You become comfortable with the routine, and the fear of change becomes greater than the desire for something better.

The role of continuous learning and adaptation

The key to not getting stuck in life is to never stop learning and adapting. Even if you find yourself in a job that doesn’t require specialized skills, use that time to develop skills that will be valuable in the future. Take online courses, read books, practice new skills, and always be looking for ways to add value beyond what your current role requires.

The world is changing rapidly, and the skills that are in demand today might not be in demand tomorrow. By continuously learning and adapting, you ensure that you always have options and can pivot when necessary.

The power of asking for feedback

One of the most important things you can do is ask people what you’re good at. Often, it’s glaringly obvious to everyone but you. People around you—colleagues, friends, family—can see your strengths and talents more clearly than you can see them yourself.

Don’t be afraid to ask for honest feedback about your strengths and areas where you excel. This feedback can be invaluable in helping you identify potential career paths that you might not have considered.

Building a network of positive influences

Surround yourself with people who are ambitious, positive, and supportive of your goals. This doesn’t mean you have to cut out everyone who isn’t like that, but you should actively seek out relationships with people who will encourage and support your growth.

Join professional organizations, attend networking events, and connect with people who are doing the kind of work you want to do. These connections can provide valuable insights, opportunities, and support as you work toward your goals.

The importance of taking action

Having a framework is great, but it’s useless if you don’t take action. Many people spend years thinking about what they want to do without ever actually doing anything about it. The key is to start small and build momentum.

If you’re not sure what you’re passionate about, try different things. Take classes, volunteer, or take on side projects. The more you expose yourself to different experiences, the more likely you are to find something that truly excites you.

Can your calling change over time?

Can this change? Sure. I mean, here I am talking to you on YouTube. In fact, given the leverage that the worldwide web gives you in 2024 and beyond, there are boundless opportunities out there. The diagram can even be altered to help you figure out many other things in life.

I saw one just the other day—same kind of chart on how to determine what video to create. You have what you want to create, what your viewers want, and then what others are creating. Find that middle ground there and create those videos.

FAQs

Live example — user point of view

I was 28 years old, working as an administrative assistant at a small company, and I felt completely stuck. I had been in the same role for five years, doing tasks that anyone could do—scheduling meetings, answering phones, filing paperwork. When I stumbled upon career advice for anyone feeling stuck, particularly the three-component framework, everything clicked.

I started by asking my colleagues what I was good at. To my surprise, everyone mentioned my ability to organize complex projects and my knack for creating efficient systems. I had always been passionate about organization and problem-solving, but I never thought of it as a career skill. I realized I was good at project management.

I checked if it was profitable—project managers in my area were making $70,000-$90,000 per year, significantly more than my $35,000 salary. I had found my intersection: passion for organization, proficiency in project management, and profitability in the field.

I started taking online project management courses at night while keeping my job. Six months later, I earned my PMP certification. Within a year, I landed a project manager role at a tech company making $75,000. The career advice for anyone feeling stuck literally changed my life. I went from a dead-end job to a fulfilling career with growth potential, all because I applied the three-component framework.