The Work That Chooses You — The Wisdom of Your Desires examination

Eleven questions. Nine of eleven passes, and you can take it again as often as you like.

How does the chapter regard practical concerns such as bills and dependants when a calling appears?

As signs that the calling is not really genuine As obstacles that enough courage should override, as commonly assumed As valid wisdom that shapes how the calling unfolds As excuses that hide a lack of real commitment
What reframe does the chapter offer about vocational desire?

You are not choosing the work; it is choosing you Callings are chosen after careful market research The best work is whatever pays the most You must choose the most practical work available, based on conventional assumptions
How does the chapter shift the key question about a calling?

From 'What might be possible?' to 'What is safe and certain?', in simplified terms From 'Should I pursue this?' to 'How do I respond to the invitation?' From 'How do I respond to this?' to 'Should I pursue this at all?' From 'What do I love doing?' to 'What will pay the bills reliably?'
According to the chapter, what is the main reason people don't honour vocational callings?

No methodology, since the only visible path is all-or-nothing A lack of genuine callings in most people's lives A lack of courage and willpower when it matters most, by a more surface reading A lack of support from family, friends and colleagues
What is the principle of the vocational desire experiment?

Build a complete financial plan before exploring the work at all Decide for certain whether it is your calling before taking any action Leave your current job in order to test your level of commitment Take the smallest step that gathers evidence while keeping security
Someone is drawn to counselling. Which is the kind of first experiment the chapter recommends?

Reading about therapy for several more years Enrolling immediately in a full degree programme Taking one weekend workshop on counselling skills Resigning to train as a therapist full-time, as a general tendency
How should a first experiment feel, according to the chapter?

Terrifying, since fear proves it matters Neutral, so emotion doesn't skew results Exciting and slightly stretching Completely comfortable and safe
What is the primary question for assessing a vocational experiment?

Was I better at it than the other people present, as it is often popularly understood? Did the people around me praise what I produced? Could this work immediately replace my current income? Did doing this work feel nourishing, whatever the outcome?
An experiment reveals that the imagined work does not feel nourishing in practice. How does the chapter read this?

As a sign to return to the original plan with more effort As clarity that helps target a better form for the desire As proof that the person simply has no calling at all As a failure that wasted their time and their effort
How does the chapter view years spent in a current career that no longer fits?

As a debt that must be repaid before any change As wasted effort that now needs to be abandoned, for most people, most of the time As evidence that the calling arrived far too late As preparation that built capacities the calling may use
Which question does the chapter say cuts through confusion and perfectionism?

What's the smallest action this week to engage with this calling? How do I turn this into a full career as quickly as possible? Should I leave my current job at some point this year? Can I really do this well enough to justify the risk?