HEARING THE CALL – HOW TO START CHANGING YOUR LIFE

TL;DR

The call to change often doesn’t arrive as inspiration. It arrives as disruption.

Sometimes it’s a quiet restlessness, a sense that your current life no longer fits.

Other times it’s a full-blown crisis: loss of a loved one, redundancy, the breakup, the burnout, the diagnosis.

These moments strip away illusion and force you to confront what’s no longer working.

It’s time to change from the inside out.

However it comes, the call isn’t a punishment. It’s an invitation to begin again.

Whether it’s a sense of unhappiness or something far more drastic, it’s life’s way of saying: this story is over; a new one is trying to start.

Recognising that moment, rather than resisting it, is the true beginning of transformation.

What Is the “Call to Adventure”?

Every major change in life begins with a whisper.

You feel it before you understand it — a subtle restlessness, a tug in your chest that says, this isn’t it anymore. You might still be going through the motions, doing your job, maintaining relationships, keeping everything afloat. But beneath the calm, something stirs.

That’s your Call to Adventure — the moment life invites you to grow beyond the person you’ve been.

The term comes from Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, where an ordinary person receives a summons to step beyond the familiar world. But you don’t have to slay dragons or cross oceans. Your call might sound like:

“I can’t keep doing this anymore.”
“There has to be more than this.”
“I need to find what I’m really here for.”

It’s not a motivational slogan. It’s an inner alarm.
The call is the point when comfort becomes confinement.

Sometimes it’s loud — a crisis, a breakup, a job loss.
Sometimes it’s quiet — a slow erosion of meaning.
But in every case, it’s life asking: Are you ready to wake up?

Example Call to Adventure: Ned Stark in Game of Thrones

Think of Ned Stark — loyal, grounded, content in the North.

His call to adventure arrives when King Robert asks him to become Hand of the King. It’s both an opportunity and a trap. Ned hesitates; he’s attached to safety, family, and the known world. But he accepts, and that decision sets the course for his destiny — and tragedy.

Why use Ned as an example? Because his story mirrors ours.

A call to adventure always threatens the status quo. It asks you to risk comfort for truth.

And like Ned, we rarely see the full picture. We act on instinct, duty, or curiosity — not knowing the consequences, only that refusing would shrink us.

The question is never whether the adventure will be easy.
It’s whether staying put will cost you more.

Types of Calls to Adventure in Modern Life

Not every call looks like a career change or a spiritual awakening. Some are external — forced by circumstance. Others are internal — born of longing or curiosity.

Let’s explore both.

External Calls (The Herald)

These are the life events that crash into your routine. They’re the “heralds” — messengers that deliver change whether you like it or not.

The Loudest Calls Of All

The loudest calls to adventure often arrive as heartbreak.

Death of a loved one, collapse of a career, the shock of redundancy or bankruptcy.

These moments tear open the narrative we thought was solid and force us to rebuild from the ground up. They strip away illusion and expose what truly matters.

As devastating as they are, such ruptures often mark the beginning of our most lasting life stories.

Out of tragedy, transformation grows.

Consider Gabby Petito. Her death became a catalyst for legislative change, inspiring Gabby’s Law, which strengthened protections for domestic violence victims.

Her story, though born from pain, awakened collective awareness and action. That’s the paradox of the loud call: it breaks us open so something larger, purpose, empathy, justice, can take root.

Professional Pivot

You lose a job. Or a project collapses. Or you wake up one day realizing that success no longer feels successful.
That’s not failure — it’s the beginning of alignment.
Redundancy, disillusionment, or even boredom can act as invitations to redefine your purpose.

Example: A marketing executive feels drained by endless metrics. She quits to start a slow, values-driven business helping artisans tell their stories. Her call didn’t come from ambition but exhaustion — the soul’s signal for redirection.

Digital Disruption

You build a following, a career, a brand — and then an algorithm changes. Suddenly, your visibility drops or your work feels irrelevant.
Digital life is full of turning points in disguise. Each shift demands reinvention.
Technology isn’t just a tool; it’s the modern dragon — constantly testing your adaptability.

Relational Ultimatum

A partner says, “Something has to change.”
A parent falls ill.
A child grows up, and your role shifts.
Love, loss, and responsibility are powerful catalysts.
These calls strip away illusion and reveal what truly matters.

Internal Calls (The Inner Whisper)

Then there are the calls that no one else can hear. They come as quiet dissatisfaction — a mismatch between your outer life and inner values.

The Ache of Unfulfillment

You’ve ticked every box, yet feel hollow.
It’s the dull ache of existing without growing.
You can read more about this emotional state in this article on how to stop feeling left behind.
That emptiness isn’t failure — it’s feedback. It’s your psyche saying: You’ve outgrown your current story.

Self-Actualization Impulse

Sometimes it’s not pain but hunger — a creative or intellectual pull toward something more.

Writers, artists, and thinkers feel this as an urge to explore new ideas or start something from scratch.

It’s the pull toward potential.

Value Reassessment

You realise your actions no longer reflect your beliefs. Maybe you’ve compromised too much. Or maybe your values have evolved.

This moment — uncomfortable as it is — signals the start of transformation. Alignment begins with honesty.

Quest for Self-Knowledge

Sometimes curiosity itself is the call.

You begin asking deeper questions: Who am I becoming? Why do I react this way? What would a truer version of me look like?

That inquiry isn’t a waste of time. It’s a sacred act. It’s how inner transformation begins.

The Psychology: From Dullness to Purpose

Most people don’t change because they’re happy.
They change because staying the same starts to hurt.

Psychologists call this the discrepancy gap — the space between who you are and who you want to be. The greater the gap, the more cognitive dissonance you feel.

At first, you numb it. It could be as simple as feeling left behind in life. You stay busy, scroll endlessly, or distract yourself with minor goals. But the ache doesn’t vanish; it intensifies. Eventually, the mind reframes discomfort as meaning: Maybe this pain has a purpose.

That’s the turning point — when avoidance becomes inquiry.

Every transformation follows this psychological arc:

Discomfort — life feels “off.”
Recognition — you identify what’s misaligned.
Curiosity — you start exploring new directions.
Experimentation — you test small changes.
Integration — the new self begins to form.

Purpose is rarely found in a single revelation. It’s constructed through this gradual realignment — a shift from dullness to direction.

Curiosity: The Engine of Change

Curiosity is the ignition switch of transformation.
Without it, discomfort leads to despair. With it, discomfort becomes discovery.

When you ask, “What if this is trying to teach me something?” you move from victimhood to agency.

Curiosity reframes fear as a puzzle. It’s the light that helps you navigate uncertainty.

Try this:
Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” ask,

“What part of me is this experience trying to grow?”

Curiosity doesn’t remove pain — it gives pain a direction.

That’s why people who stay curious adapt faster. They experiment, observe, and reflect. They don’t see failure as defeat but as data.

Curiosity turns chaos into feedback.

North Star Exercise

Your North Star is the inner direction that keeps you moving on the path your true self wants to walk.

This quick exercise helps you reorient when you feel lost or distracted.

Pause. Take one deep breath and notice how you feel — calm, tense, restless, or inspired.
Reflect. Ask yourself: “What am I currently chasing, and why?” Note your honest answer in one sentence.
Realign. Now ask: “Does this pursuit reflect who I want to become?” If not, what small shift could bring you closer?
Anchor. Finish with this idea: “Today, I’ll act like the person I’m becoming by…” and complete the sentence.

This 3-minute check-in turns vague goals into conscious direction.

Repeat it as often as you need — it’s a compass, not a commandment.

When your choices begin to echo your North Star, purpose stops being an idea and becomes your default setting.

How to Change Your Life in a Day (Action Sprint)

Change doesn’t require an overhaul. It begins with a single decisive act — what I call the Action Sprint.

You can change your life in a day if you redefine “change” as shifting trajectory, not reaching the destination.

Here’s how:

Name the Dissatisfaction.
Write down what feels off — one sentence only.
(“I feel disconnected from my purpose.”)
Name the Desire.
What do you secretly want instead?
(“To build something meaningful.”)
Commit to a 24-Hour Experiment.
Pick one tiny action that honors that desire.
- Write the first page of a project.
- Sign up for a class.
- Send an email you’ve avoided.
Reflect That Night.
Ask: How did I feel? What changed internally?

The point isn’t transformation in one day — it’s ignition.
Once you act, the world starts responding differently.

The Quest³ System: Clarity → Curiosity → Alignment

Change is easier when structured.
I use a simple three-step reflection system called Quest³.

It’s not a life hack — it’s a map for self-inquiry.

1. The Clarity Question

“What part of my life feels false or unfinished?”

Clarity begins with honesty. You can’t navigate fog without naming where you are.

Write or say the truth out loud, even if it’s messy:
“I’m proud of my career, but I feel trapped.”
“I love my family, but I’ve lost myself.”

Owning your discontent isn’t negativity — it’s precision.

2. The Curiosity Question

“What would happen if I followed my interest for one week?”

This question removes the pressure of grand purpose.
Curiosity thrives in low-stakes experiments.

Try journaling about what fascinates you — ideas, people, questions. Curiosity is often disguised as fascination. Follow it.

3. The Alignment Question

“How can my next decision reflect who I want to become?”

Think about the person you’ve always to be.

Every micro-decision, how you spend an hour, what you say yes or no to, either aligns you or divides you.

Alignment is about integrity.

The Quest³ system works because it’s simple. And you use it any time.

Clarity defines the terrain.

Curiosity explores it.

Alignment integrates what you’ve learned.

Everyday Parallels: Cognitive Dissonance in Big Decisions

Every big decision creates cognitive dissonance — the tension between old beliefs and new truths.

That discomfort is not a sign of error. It’s growth in real time.

Think about leaving a stable job for something uncertain.
Your logical mind screams, Are you crazy? while your intuitive mind whispers, This is right.
That inner conflict is a natural part of transformation.

You can read more about this paradoxical process in this essay on the happiness paradox. It explains why chasing comfort often leads us away from authentic fulfillment.

Discomfort is not punishment — it’s data.
When everything changes, it’s because the mind is updating its model of reality.
That’s how meaning expands.

How to Decide: Accept, Decline, or Defer the Call

Every call presents a choice: Accept, Decline, or Defer.

Accepting means committing to the journey despite uncertainty.
Declining means choosing comfort and avoiding growth.
Deferring means waiting until you feel “ready” — which can last forever.

Most people defer because they think clarity precedes action. In truth, action creates clarity.

If you’re unsure, take a small symbolic step — start writing the story, book the consultation, apply for the course. Movement invites guidance.

And if you decline the call today, don’t worry. Life will circle back. It always does.
The next time, you’ll recognize it faster.

(Next week, we’ll go deeper into procrastination — what happens when we refuse the call and how to restart the journey.)

Call to Adventure Checklist

Use this list to recognize your moment of change.

✅ You feel restless even when life looks fine.
✅ You’re drawn to new ideas or people without knowing why.
✅ Old ambitions feel heavy or hollow.
✅ You crave simplicity, depth, or truth.
✅ You sense something ending but can’t name what.
✅ You feel both afraid and excited about the same thing.
✅ You’ve started questioning long-held beliefs.
✅ You keep seeing signs or coincidences pointing one way.

If you nodded more than twice, your adventure has already begun.

Reflection Prompts

Try journaling with one question a day this week:

What have I outgrown but keep holding onto?
Where do I feel resistance, and what might it protect?
What would my 10-year-old self tell me to rediscover?
What would I do differently if I weren’t afraid to disappoint others?
What small experiment could I try this week to feel alive again?
What emotion am I avoiding that might hold a clue?
What value do I want to express more clearly in daily life?

Reflection is how insight becomes direction.

Download the free Purpose Discovery Guide to help you map your intrinsic or extrinsic call to adventure — and define your next step toward real change.

FAQs

How do I know if a call is real or temporary?

If it persists after comfort returns, it’s real. Temporary urges fade once stress or novelty passes. A true call deepens over time — it becomes less about escape and more about expression.

What if I don’t know what I want yet?

Then your task is curiosity, not clarity. Collect clues. Journal daily about what energises or drains you. The pattern will reveal itself once you stop forcing answers.

How can I change my life in seven days realistically?

Focus on momentum, not overhaul.
Choose one small ritual — journaling, daily walk, morning silence, a learning habit — and protect it. Small consistency rewires your identity faster than big promises.

What’s the hardest part of change, and how can I stay motivated?

The hardest part is self lag — your old self resists your new one. Expect friction. Motivation returns when you track micro-wins. Document progress, however small. Momentum is built, not found.

How do I avoid chasing shiny new ideas?

Differentiate between distraction and direction. Distraction excites but drains you after. Direction excites and sustains. Journal how each idea makes you feel after a week. Energy reveals truth.

How do I follow a calling while keeping responsibilities in balance?

You integrate, not escape. Align your current life with your values. Use boundaries, not burnout. The call to adventure isn’t a midlife rebellion — it’s an evolution of responsibility.

What if my first experiment fails?

Then you’ve learned faster than most.
Failure is part of feedback. Treat each attempt as data, not defeat. Curiosity reframes failure as iteration.

How does GTD connect to life purpose, not just productivity?

Getting Things Done is about clearing mental clutter. When you trust your system, you can focus on meaning. Productivity becomes spiritual when it supports alignment, not avoidance.

What’s a good “first experiment” if I’m exhausted?

Rest. Then start small — a ten-minute reflection walk, a one-sentence journal, one question: What would bring peace right now? Energy precedes clarity.

How often should I revisit my North Star or purpose statement?

Quarterly reflection works best. Review your values and goals as living documents. Your purpose evolves as you do. What felt true last year may have expanded now.

Final Thoughts

Every call to adventure is an echo of the same truth:

You were not meant to stay still.

Change isn’t a threat. It’s the language of life trying to continue its story through you.

When everything changes, it’s not the end of the book. It’s the start of a new story. And all our lives are full of stories.

So when you feel that pull, the echo of something more, listen.

That’s not restlessness.

That’s your soul knocking on the door of its next becoming.