A person can spend 10–15, even 20 years doing something, and they might be good at it: they advance in their career, earn well, and receive social recognition. Yet, deep down, they still feel like it’s not “the one.” As if this isn’t truly their life’s calling.
This raises an important question:
- Does a “life’s work” even exist, and can it be found
- How do you know what you should be doing?
- How can you find yourself through your work?
This article takes a deep dive into these questions.
THE MISTAKE IN THE QUESTION ITSELF
People search for a “life’s calling” because they’ve been conditioned to believe that without it, life is incomplete. Society, universities, parents, spouses, friends, and even YouTube videos all push the idea of finding a “single true purpose.”
But the very question of “how to find my life’s work” might be flawed.
The assumption that you must find “your thing” in life implies that until you do, you are living unhappily and not fully as yourself—meaning your life isn’t truly yours.
But what exactly is “work”? What is a “life’s work”?
If life’s work is, essentially, life itself, then why do we separate it? Yes, it could be a profession, but when we ask “how do I find my life’s work?” we step away from the essence of life itself. This is a crucial realization for moving forward.
THE IDEAL SCENARIO
When someone asks, “How do I find my life’s work?”—they’re really looking for an ideal answer.
But the ultimate ideal scenario is the ability to find enjoyment in any activity, no matter what you do. When a person understands that everything they do is part of their life’s work.
But some may say:
- “No, that sounds strange—I still want to find a specific calling, a destiny, a purpose.”
Okay, but what happens after you find that destiny? Will you feel free or disappointed? Will you grow, or will you fall into depression? What really happens when it comes to “life’s work”?
If a person searches for their “life’s work” as something in the future, rather than focusing on what they already have, they will constantly feel as if their life hasn’t truly started yet.
HOW TO GET INTO THE “IDEAL STATE”
The next logical question is: if we understand this, how do we get there? What’s the perfect way? Is there a way to get there immediately?
Do you wake up tomorrow and suddenly have your dream job? Or your dream business? Or you arrive at work and finally feel that this is your true calling?
But what if life calls for something unexpected?
What if you find yourself laying bricks, thinking, “I wasn’t planning to do this! This isn’t my life’s work. As a child, I wanted something else.”
And then come the questions: “What did you love as a child? What did you dream of doing?”
Many people think: “I’ll endure this for now, but one day I’ll find my true calling…” and they remain trapped in this endless search for their purpose.
If you’re trying to find it “as quickly as possible”, let’s consider what happens if you don’t find it immediately. Could the search last 30 years and never end? Yes, absolutely.
It’s essential to be honest with yourself: If I spend my whole life searching for my purpose, there’s a real chance I may never find it. That is a fact.
Think about the word “hobby.” It’s an English term that refers to something you do in your free time, separate from work, which doesn’t generate income.
But that very definition already implies that work shouldn’t be enjoyable—it’s just an obligation. So if someone loves what they do and earns money from it, suddenly it’s no longer a hobby but just “work,” and that feels… off?
This is an illusion caused by artificial separations—work versus hobbies.
The only true way to work on your life’s calling is to start seeing life as a whole. This means that whatever work emerges within your life is already your life’s work. Because if a life’s work is something separate, then everything else you do means “you’re not really living.”
When you recognize that life is whole and that everything you do can be meaningful, it becomes clear:
- I record videos—that’s part of my life’s work.
- I worked as a programmer—that was my life’s work.
- I was a company CEO—that was my life’s work.
- I was a co-founder of Business Molodost—that was my life’s work.
Nothing is “forever.” There’s retirement, aging, childhood. Companies aren’t meant to exist indefinitely. The illusion of “forever” is just something people create and then try to live by.
HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM THIS ILLUSION?
Many people don’t actually want to “break free from illusion”—they want to enter a perfect state where they know all the answers. But reaching that instantly is impossible because people already have professional desires, dreams, and ideas about work.
For example, someone might be a vice president at a large company, but also passionate about nutrition, health, cooking, and many other interests. All of these things count.
Waking up one morning as a perfectly happy person isn’t a solution.
The key is to understand that:
- Life’s work is not about finding the perfect niche. The idea that “choosing the right industry means finding your calling” is false.
- Life’s work doesn’t mean that what you’re doing right now is “wrong.”
- Life’s work can be both enjoyable and challenging, profitable or not, fulfilling or disappointing.
If someone asks, “How do I find a life’s work that brings money, joy, freedom, and lets me do what I want?”—then they’re really asking for ideal conditions, not the deeper question of purpose.
THE FUNDAMENTAL REALIZATION: ACCEPTING THE FACT
This is the fact we need to accept.
Some may wonder: “So, we’ve concluded that life’s work is everything I do… even if I don’t enjoy it?”
Yes, but this realization is the ultimate resolution to the question. It holds immense value. When you hear it and truly accept it, something inside finally lets go.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?
🗣️ “What if someone doesn’t know what to do next? What niche to choose? How to realize themselves? They feel lost—and this happens at all ages, in all countries. Is this related to the idea of life’s work?”
Yes. At least in its second layer. We’ve already established that “life’s work” as a separate concept is an illusion. But someone may still feel: “I feel lost. I don’t know what to do or where to go next.”
There are things you can’t immediately change when it comes to your professional path.
- Someone may ask, “So if my situation is tough, should I accept it or fight it?” They’re looking for an answer, a resolution.
- Someone might say, “Keep fighting!”—and they continue fighting.
- Then they ask, “Maybe I should stop fighting?” In reality, it’s not about fighting or not fighting—it’s about continuing to live.
There is no “battle” here. No one is saying you shouldn’t aim higher, seek opportunities, set goals, explore, or dream. That’s not the point. The point is recognizing that some things don’t change instantly.
Life unfolds as it unfolds. If we understand that everything we do is already part of life, then there is no need to search for a separate “calling”—it’s already with us. You can seek new opportunities, jobs, or businesses, but that doesn’t mean everything before that was meaningless.
Once you accept this idea, everything becomes clearer and easier.
Whatever you are doing today—that is your life’s work.