• Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and learn to listen to God in prayer.
• Begin to develop a life of regular prayer.  You may even desire to have a mentor or spiritual guide to journey with you in your discernment process.
• You may seek out prayer groups or support through liturgical prayer.

More steps on the journey:

• Seek to create balance in your life.  God speaks to us in our everyday lives so it is healthy to have time for friends, prayer, service, quiet reflection, leisure, and times of social events.
• Become familiar with books that are a "good read" and surf the Net for helpful resources to help you with discernment. Check out makingthepartswhole.com and www.visionguide.org which give you access to websites of many communities and suggestions for further reading.
• Contact some communities whose spirituality, ministries, and community life attract you.  You may also set up a time for a short visit, meet particular members or have an informal interview.
• Initial decision: when you begin to sense that you are coming to a place of peace within yourself, make a decision to pursue a specific community and make an appointment for a formal time with a program director.