I often trudge through the work day, the work week, waiting and longing for the weekend. Many have told me that they work for the weekends as well, for vacation, and not for the work itself. That is backwards. The work you do should be an art form, and you should be the master of your craft. As the western world has slowly turned away from manufacturing towards a service and information economy, more and more of us are finding ourselves adrift in the landscape of never ending work weeks. How can we perfect our crafts when craft making has been taken over by machines and Fordian assembly lines?
It has never been true for everyone, but many people speak wistfully of their fathers and grandfathers being proud of the simple jobs they did; whether it was street cleaning or brick laying. Knowing they did a fine job and being proud of being masters of their craft, even if it seemed they were not making any large differences to the world. Although many incorrect figures are tossed around about how many career and job changes we should plan to have over a lifetime, it is clear that it is more than one. If you change jobs every few years, you will never master any of them, and will never have the chance to become a master of your craft as our forefathers before us did. For many, becoming a master is one of the keys to a full and happy life.
So how can you attain this satisfaction? The path is different for each of us, but here are a few guidelines to help you. First read through the outline, and then I will walk you through a more in depth discussion of each point.
- Know where you want to go, then go there.
- Walk a narrow path, avoiding pitfalls along the way. (Keep your goal in sight)
- Seek out others on the same path, and walk with them.
- Realize that it is impossible to fail, unless you decide to quit.
- Find resources to help you along the way.
- Find teachers who can guide you.
Each of these steps would make a long article in and of itself (and perhaps I will expand upon them properly in the future). Take the ideas you see here, and mull them around inside your head for a time. The best discoveries are made, not learned.
1. Know where you want to go, then go there.
This seems like an obvious statement. But I am constantly amazed by the number of people who state a dream or goal of theirs, and then never take a step in the direction of that goal. There are others who do not have an idea of where they want to go, and are happy circling the same spot for awhile. If you want to break the cycle you are in today, the first step is to find out where you want to end up, and then make a plan for how you will achieve this goal.
Finding out where you want to go is often the hardest part, and it may surprise you when you find it. Many of us follow advice given by parents or friends or bosses. Those with influence in our lives. We are headed towards jobs and careers which will make us rich, or famous, or something else. It is much better to be happy. Try the following exercise, and see where it leads you:
Take about 30 minutes to an hour and set it aside as personal time. Find a place where you can be alone. Perhaps you are even in such a place right now. Gather in your thoughts all the things others have said you should be, and all the things you have wanted to become. Make a mental list of everything (You may want to write it down if that is more helpful to you). Now, filter through each item on the list. Carefully analyze why someone believed it was the right thing for you, then honestly respond to how you feel about it. Notice your emotions as they emerge about the advice given you, and ask yourself critical questions. I suggest questions like ‘will it make me happy’ and ‘what’s the point of this?’. When you hit on something that feels very right, and every criticism you come up with seems hollow, you may have found the right one. Or you may not have. For some of us, finding the right path takes decades, and there is nothing wrong with that. Just keep suggesting new paths to yourself until one just fits.
Then comes the easy part: make a plan (probably 5 or more years out) which will take you towards your goal. I won’t go into in depth planning here, but there are plenty of resources on Google.
2. Walk A Narrow Path, Avoiding Pitfalls Along the Way. (Keep your goal in sight)
If you were lucky enough to pick something which you are already doing, and that others want you to do, and it offers you everything you want like time with family, money, stability, and so on, then you are done!
Realistically, we are never done. After step one, we will be looking at a plan which most likely pulls us away from many comfortable things in our life. For me, my plans pull me away from a high income, a stable job, and a high powered career. For others it may be estrangement from family, loss of respect, guilt over leaving a profession you were good at, like Medicine, or any number of other things. The point is, adjusting life to go towards what makes you happy is challenging, and there are many temptations to prevent us from moving even a little. You have to have the strength and will power to avoid temptation, and drive at your goals with commitment.
3. Seek Out Others on the Same Path, and Walk With Them.
Once you start down the path to your true calling, you may find yourself slightly estranged from others. You will find you know something they don’t, and you will start to feel more alone. It helps if your family is supportive, but you should reach out to others doing the same thing as you. Many of them can be met online – blogs and newsgroups, forums and chat rooms are great resources. Join groups which align with your goals – If you want to become a writer and have always worked as a chemist, start joining writers groups, take classes, and hang out where writers hang out. This goes for every career choice. It will help you immensely to have a support group made up of others who are on the same path, at approximately the same stage as you.
4. Realize That it is Impossible to Fail, Unless you Decide to Quit.
Failure is not possible. It is that simple. Many people take retirement to begin the second career they always dreamed of. If they can start over at 65 or 70, you can start over today. If you never reach your end goal, but have never given up, then you still have not failed. You just haven’t made it yet. If you keep this attitude, your whole life will be transformed. I promise you will be more positive about life, willing to work harder, and more committed to the things you do and to doing them well then the people around you who do not have similar goals.
5. Find Resources To Help you Along the Way.
Helpful things are found in surprising places. You may not have the skills required to get where you want to go, but don’t let that stop you. Leverage the network you began to build in your new area, and leverage their expertise about where you can build your own. Read books, practice, take classes. Do whatever you can to gather the skills you want.
6. Find Teachers Who Can Guide You.
Not everyone is lucky enough to find good and willing teachers in their lifetime. Search for teachers from many walks of life. Not only in the field you want to enter, but those more experienced then you in other fields. They may have great insight. Listen to them humbly, and hear what they are saying, not what you wish they would say. If you have teachers and mentors, they may help you make the next step along the way. Their real value, however, is in giving you the wisdom to take the step on your own.
Now, take these steps, and expand on them in your own life. Come back and re-read them whenever you need inspiration.
