A professional wrestler runs for governor of Minnesota and wins. The owner and pastry chef of my neighborhood bakery is a former investment banker. A friend from college who was a computer scientist for seven years now makes her living as a sailboat captain in Seattle.

How did these people get where they are today? Through a combination of luck, confidence and lots of self-awareness. As you contemplate where your own career might take you, it's impossible to know what opportunities fate may throw your way. What you can do, however, is identify your interests, talents and values, and then explore occupations that might make good use of them. Follow the three-step process below and discover what makes you happy.

Figure out what makes you tick. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What grabs and holds my interest?
2. What do I do well?
3. What kind of personality do I have?
4. What's really important to me?