Take the one-question quiz to find out if you are doing the work that is right for you.

Then, we all have one true helper in our quest to find out what we want to be when we grow up (because, even though we may be adult, that doesn’t mean we’ve figured it out!) Find out who can guide us to recognize our true calling.

The Quiz:

1. Do you ever lose track of time when you work?

The ancient Greeks had a word–chiros–to describe the state of mind a person enters when she loses track of time. We usually do this when we engage in an activity we love. If you find yourself in this state at work, you’ve likely found a job that incorporates your passion. If not, see if there’s a way you can bring a chiros-inducing activity to work. For example, if you enjoy working with your hands, offer to build a new set of shelves for your office. Perhaps you love to be around kids but are employed at an insurance company. Offer to organize the company picnic and plan activities for employees’ children. If you love to write, volunteer yourself as the editor of the company newsletter.

The Helper:

The one true helper in our quest to find out what we want to be when we grow up is our child-self. Take a time machine back to your childhood. Did you love to take off on Saturdays with your dog and a pack filled with sandwiches to follow a neighborhood stream and pretend you were an explorer? Maybe as an adult you’d like to research job opportunities that involve travel or time outdoors in nature. Were you the kind of kid who would take apart the living room clock, try to put it back together, and not even mind that it cost you your television privileges? You may want to find a job where you are responsible for problem-solving.

Make a list of things you love to do. Let yourself fantasize a job that incorporates that activity in a useful way. Listen carefully to see if you can hear what purpose is calling you.