Many of you know that my most common response to the greeting “How are you doing?” is “Living the dream!” There are several reasons I feel that way, but one would be that I’m living out my “calling.” Some people might think that’s a religious term, but to me it’s the best way to describe operating in the space you were designed for. Sadly, it has taken me decades to really understand this concept.

When I completed Marcus Buckingham’s StandOut assessment, it labeled me as a “Performance Coach” and offered the following words to describe what that means:

“People who come to you for advice will not only get forthright, practical guidance, they will also get a system to track their progress. You love to keep score. And while this logical, disciplined approach creates security and certainty with others, you temper it with a heartfelt belief in them and what they can achieve. Your goal is to create self-reliance in others. You don’t want them to have to keep coming to you. And then you stand proudly on the sidelines and watch them deliver.”

If you’re a regular reader, you know I prefer the word “advisor” over “coach.” I explained my reasons for that preference in my July 2016 post. That being said, I’ll accept being a “performance coach.”

So I guess my “what” or “why” is advising/coaching, and my “where” is business — and in recent years, I’ve realized how much I love this role. As a former athlete, I assume I enjoy the competitiveness of business and, as Buckingham would say, “I love to keep score.”

Back to “Living the dream.” Advising my clients isn’t work; it’s who I am. One of my favorite authors, Matthew Kelly, would say that when I’m advising, I’m the “best version of myself.”

In addition to working with my clients, I mentor both a young man who lives at a children’s home and a felon who’s spent most of his life in prison. A few weeks ago I was talking to a longtime friend who asked about the mentoring. During our conversation, he said, “Well, that makes total sense.” To which I said, “What?” He replied, “You’re coaching.”

Now you know a little more about me — but how about you? Do you know your unique calling?

Discover what it is, engage, and join me in “Living the dream!”