7 Effective Steps to Pursuing & Living Out Your Calling

In my first post related to “your calling,” I wrote about the distractions that may be keeping you from it.

Getting the vision is one thing. Overcoming the distractions is another. Actually going for it is something else entirely.

This week, I’m going to cover 4 practical steps to pursue your calling and go over 3 tips that will help you get there.

Hold Your Plans Loosely – Focus on God’s Vision

So God gave you the vision of your calling.

Now what?

Whether you’ve been given super clear instructions, or vague ideas from God, it can be hard to execute.

Like I mentioned in the last post, it may be overwhelming to see all the things that need to be done and you end up doing nothing and getting nowhere on pursuing your calling.

Or maybe God has given you a single word or phrase, and you’re unsure of what it really means.

For me, that word was “write.”

Write what?

Write a non-fiction book based on my own experiences that will somehow help other people?

Or finally bring that fictional story to life that had been floating around in my head for over a decade?

I started to write different things, and over time God gave me the idea for the blog. From there, I fell into the trap of confusion when I realized there were so many ways I could go with it, and I didn’t understand what God wanted me to do specifically.

Was the blog supposed to be a form of income? Should I focus on driving traffic? How much should I post?

I ended up going in circles and not getting much done for the better part of the year because I wasn’t sure what direction God wanted me to go in.

I knew my calling was to write, but other than that I was stuck. I tried different things on the backend with minimal success. Every time I strived for the blog to become something more, I felt like I was hitting a wall.

I realized that I was trying to form something out of the simple vision God had given me and make my calling into something he didn’t intend for it to be – at least at that time.  

So, hold your plans loosely because they can derail from your true calling. Focus on that vision, that instruction, that gut feeling, no matter how vague or specific, and go from there.

Don’t try to make it into something that it isn’t supposed to be. It’s easy to get carried away, dreaming up big things for your calling – and maybe that’s what God has planned for you – but putting your own desires above divine direction won’t give you the success, contentment, opportunity ect. as it will if you stick to God’s plan.

Which leads me to my next point…

Go back to the last thing God told you

If you’re really struggling to make any progress, go back to the last thing God told you.

When God gave me the vision for the blog, I thought it was too simple.

The main topics were going to be faith, travel, and maybe some health/wellness; I was to link each post with a post on Instagram. Other than that, the instruction was to write.

I started to build my website, and the more I learned more about blogging – and building a business – the more my attention strayed from my true calling.

There was so much that could be done with the blog! I couldn’t just focus on the writing aspect!

I wanted people to read it and I wanted it to be “successful,” with a professional website layout, high traffic numbers, and of course, making money off of it would be nice too.

I spent hours watching YouTube videos and online courses to “build my brand/business,” only to feel more perplexed than ever, because I didn’t have a business. There weren’t products or services I was offering anyone, so how did this stuff apply to me?

My frustration led to procrastination, and for the better part of a year, not much progress was made on the blog. On my calling.

Fed up, I went back to the last thing God told me to do, and I felt like smacking myself in disbelief over the simplicity of it: write.

Just write. Not write x amount of blog posts per week, or drive traffic to get x amount of page views per month, or pay someone to make my website look the way I really wanted it to look (because my web-design skills are very rudimentary).

Just write.

And so I did. I focused on my writing. It became easier to write. It became more fun. And I was able to post consistently.

I’ve been able to start tackling some of the website/business related things as well, and they’ve actually been working for me, not against me like they were before, when I was avoiding my writing.

The doors that were once locked have now been opened, all because I went back the last thing God told me and decided to actually do it, instead of just focusing on what I felt was best.

Whether you have been given a step-by-step download on a huge project, or an ambiguous vision, going back to the last thing God told you, then going from there is how to get started on your calling.

Set small goals

Now that you’re crystal clear on your calling and you have a starting point, it’s time to execute.

If you have a very specific set of instructions that seem a mile long, don’t stress, just pick one thing off the list and fully dedicate yourself to getting it done.

If it’s something that doesn’t have a specific timeline, then just go at a pace that makes sense for you. Make sure you keep up with it, and don’t let it fall to the wayside with all of life’s distractions, but don’t let it overwhelm you either.

I’ve learned that trying to fit God into my own timeline hasn’t worked out, and that surrendering to the process and trusting his divine timing is best.

Going back to the other option. If you just have a word or a vision, with no real steps to get there, base your goals around that one thing.

For example, when I finally just decided to write, and wasn’t getting any clear instruction from the Lord other than write for the blog, I decided to create a feasible goal.

I committed to writing and posting one blog post per week. I got really clear on how I would make that happen and set up a schedule where I write all my posts in one week, edit them in the next, and work on editing photos and layout as I go.

So far, it’s worked well, and I’m no longer stressing out about writing or posting on the blog.

Once you hit the first goal, then you create another one. Keep them a size that is not only manageable but attainable.

As you hit each goal, and create another one, you’ll be making strides, stirring that energy of momentum.

Step by step. Level by level.

Until you’re where you never thought it was possible to be. Until you’ve reached the vision. Until God gives you another step.

Walk Daily with Holy Spirit

Staying grounded in God’s presence has prevented me from straying off the path of my calling. By tuning in and spending time with the Creator daily, I stay focused on what God is calling me to do, instead of getting distracted and overwhelmed.

With the access to the world with a touch of a button on our phones, it’s easy to lose sight of the vision. It’s easy to wander from your calling and shift your focus.

Putting my relationship with Jesus first is easier said than done but making the effort to seek him consistently has kept my head clear and my attention on my writing.  

On the days – or weeks – I don’t spend as much time with God, I’m more negative, more easily stressed and agitated. I begin to focus on what I’m lacking and how things could be better.

I procrastinate working on the blog and if enough time goes by, I begin to dread working on it.

But when I stay rooted in God’s love, I’m reminded of who he is and his goodness.

I’m filled with his strength, patience, and confidence to pursue my calling.

I can only sustain myself on my own for so long, before I need to go back to Holy Spirit to fill myself up with his grace, his love, his power.

I’m reminded that my calling is so much bigger than myself, and my personal goals. There is a far greater purpose that is unfolding here, and the same goes for your calling.

This world needs you to pursue it. It needs what you have to offer.

So there you have it. Four simple steps to follow your calling. You may be thinking, it’s really not that simple. There’s so much more to it than that. And you’re right. Every situation is unique. That’s why I’ve included 3 additional tips for ensuring you’re successful at reaching your calling.

Discipline & Self-Love

If you want to achieve any sort of goal, you must be disciplined. You must be loving to yourself as well. It does you no good to set a goal, not hold yourself accountable and then beat yourself up over it, like I’ve been guilty of doing.

Being both disciplined and self-loving is vital to stepping into your calling.

You might have to rework your schedule, or shift your priorities, setting aside time each day to work on your goals.

But don’t be too hard on yourself either. Adopt a positive mindset where you affirm repeatedly that you can do this and that you have what it takes.

If you keep missing deadlines you’ve set for yourself, or you’re finding that even the first little goal isn’t getting finished, then reassess the situation and adjust your expectations if you have to.

Beating yourself up over it doesn’t help anything, so don’t be too rigid with yourself. Forgive yourself, commit to doing better, and try again.

Loving yourself through it all will make the whole experience so much easier, and more fun, especially if you’re struggling with fear and doubt, like I was at the beginning of my blogging journey.

Let Go of the Ideal of Pleasing and Appealing to Everyone

If God is calling you to do something, not everyone is going to like it. Not everyone is going to understand it. People you thought were going to support you, might laugh and reject your idea.

You might lose friends. Relationships could crumble. People you love can hurt you.

But the thing is, your calling isn’t going to appeal to everyone. People aren’t going to understand and that’s okay.

I struggled with this a lot at the beginning because I am a people pleaser. I wanted everyone who read my blog to resonate with it, but that’s just not possible. As time went on, I grew out of the idea by being so dead set on my vision that I knew no one could say anything to stop me.

I embraced the knowledge that I am 100% working in what God has called me into, and that’s what is most important.

If you’re truly going for your calling, the Lord will work through in ways you least expect. I’ve already had more than one person in my life tell me how impacted they’ve been by my writing.

And they’ve been people I didn’t think would ever read the blog.

If you’re on the other end of the spectrum; you don’t give a flying fruit what people think about you and you’re fearlessly pursuing your calling despite any pushback or criticism, I applaud you.

No matter where you’re at, finding a support system is helpful. Even if it’s just one person who’s rooting for you, that positivity and encouragement can – and will – propel you so far into greatness that even the meanest comment won’t slow you down.

A Little Note on Overcoming fear

I first heard God calling me to write in 2019. For several months that followed, I proceeded to do everything but write in my attempt to figure out what he meant.

Midway through 2020, when the pandemic killed all my typical distractions and numbing methods, I started to write.

But I could never seem to finish any project that I started, and I was so so critical of my skillset.

In December of 2020 God gave me the idea for the blog, after several signs that I pointedly ignored because that didn’t fit the vision I had for my life.

I embarked on the blogging journey at the beginning of 2021, and for months, fear prevented me from really committing to it. Each step has been painful, frustrating, and that’s mostly because I didn’t surrender to the process, and I let fear drive every decision.

I decided to let that go and stop letting it stop me. How did I do that?

By fixing my eyes on Jesus.

Going off my point earlier about being rooted in Christ, giving your fear over and over and over again to him changes things.

It has shifted my perspective from the ways of the world, which always let me down, to the goodness of God. Through him all things are possible.

Instead of being consumed by the what if’s, I was able to tackle the fears with the fresh perspective and living power of Jesus.

I asked myself, what’s the worst thing that can happen? Someone leaves a mean comment? I offend someone? People stop being my friends?

Staying focused on God gave me a fresh perspective on those fears. They were valid, yes. But if any of those things were to happen, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

God equipped me with everything I needed to handle it should those situations arise.

I was able to move forward with my writing.

Now that I’ve been living out my calling, the things that held me back hardly cross my mind anymore.

I’m doing what the Lord has called me to do, and he’s going to work through it. There has been struggle and frustration, there might be pain, but he’s not going to let me fail.

And the same goes for you. God isn’t going to let you fail doing the thing he’s called you to do.

Trust in him. Believe in yourself. Step out in faith.

And the fear will fall away.