|
|
|
The
Five Passion Clues
Finding the work you feel passionate about is like solving a mystery. You have to recognize the clues that let you know you are on the right track. PASSION CLUE # 1: You would do the work even if you didn’t get paid for it The first passion clue is the most difficult to grasp. Your initial reaction
may be: does this mean I have to work for nothing? The answer is no and
yes. No, because people will pay you when what you know can solve their
problems. Yes, because you may need to give away what you know until you
can prove that you know what you are doing. To understand what you do without even having to think about it, pay attention to what comes easily to you. This is not easy, since you may take these strengths for granted. You may believe everyone can do what you do seemingly without effort, and so you can’t target the right customers, clients or employers. If you can’t think of what you do naturally and well, what have you always been complimented for doing? For example, do people thank you for your advice and direction? Do they say you are disciplined, digging until you get to the bottom of any situation? Or do they admire your ability to connect with people, speak, write, research, promote, teach, or live a healthy lifestyle? PASSION CLUE # 2: Mastery is your goal The desire for mastery is the basis of success in work and life. Patience with the slowness that excellence requires allows you to concentrate on the task at hand. You are not wishing you were somewhere else, wondering if you are missing out on the latest trend, or worrying that competitors are outdoing you. Nor do you take shortcuts when you get frustrated. Study the past and you will discover that you succeeded when you were determined to do your best. When things got hard you may have thought about giving up, but you kept going in spite of fears and self-doubt. If friends, family members or others tried to make it easy for you, or they discouraged or put you down, you turned a deaf ear. You had what no one could take away from you, the knowledge that you did what was difficult for you, in spite of the risks. PASSION CLUE #3: You are transformed as you do the work Transformation is defined as a complete change. The person you were when you started your work is not who you are now. As the years go by, you keep learning and growing and increasing your value in the marketplace, which makes you virtually recession-proof. Being open to constructive criticism is another reason you are transformed as you do the work, which attracts customers, clients and employers who reflect your maturity. Even the way you look is altered. People who “knew you when” may not recognize you when they pass you on the street. Becoming who you were designed to be is life’s greatest achievement. PASSION CLUE #4: You are not aware that time is passing by A sense of timelessness is another clue you are on the passion path. You wake up in the morning and the next thing you know it is evening. Where did the time go, you ask yourself? Every day it is the same, there is no past or future, only now. But as soon as fear enters your mind boundaries go up and you are in the past or the future, worrying about what you can’t control. Don’t confuse a sense of timelessness with vagueness, being late, “forgetting” appointments and responsibilities. Drifting along in a dreamy fog is not living in the moment; it is passive avoidance. Paradoxically, when you live in the moment you don’t worry about details; you just take care of them. Like a house that is always free of clutter there is nothing in the background to distract you. You are right here, right now, acutely aware that you are doing the work you value. PASSION CLUE # 5: You are paid to be who you are As an adult, your value is measured by the level of your education and training, your accomplishments, possessions, how much money you make, your friends, the person you live with or marry, your children, grandchildren and what they achieve. But who are you without anything and anyone to define you? If you were in a strange country where you knew no one and no one knew you, who are you then? When you get paid to be this person, your authentic self, you are definitely on the passion path. If you are an introvert you work in a quiet place with few interruptions, at your own pace and in your own way. You have the right mixture of stimulation and solitude to keep you centered and balanced. Working alone, one-on-one, and in small, intimate groups is when you are at your best; but large groups tire you. You know your limits and you do not go beyond them. If you are an extrovert you work and live in a stimulating environment. You charge up in groups, meetings, and at conferences and parties. You love being in the limelight, on stage or in front of a television camera or a microphone. You enjoy some time alone, but you prefer to be around people, talking and sharing information. Life and work are fun when you are paid to be who you are, a lively, outgoing extrovert. It may take several tries before you discover the niche that is just right for you, the place where you will reach your full potential and make the money you need. Like Goldilocks, you have to test all the beds before you find the one that suits the real you. Then (surprise!) you discover that getting there was all the fun. Based on the book, Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond, by Nancy Anderson ©2010 New World Library, Novato, CA Nancy Anderson is an innovative career and life
consultant and the author of the best selling career guide, Work with
Passion. Her new book, Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond
is available from online and local bookstores. Her website is workwithpassion.com,
|
||||||||||||||
