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YOUR DESIRES vs. YOUR JOB REQUIREMENTS by Graham White
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You want (?) - 

  • The freedom to pursue things you feel a connection to.

  • Time to connect with what the next part of your life will involve.

  • The assurance that the choices you are making are sound.

  • The opportunity to spend the winter in a moderate climate.

  • Proximity/more time with your loved ones.

  • Opportunity to contribute to those things you are passionate about.

  • Time to reflect on who you are, what's important to you and where you want to go from here.

  • Financial security.

  • Meaningful opportunities.

  • A sense of direction.

  • Pursuits that invigorate you and stimulate your mind.

  • A schedule that permits you to focus on your health, your mental wellness and a spiritually centered life.

  • A lifestyle that supports you in your choice to be able to say "No" to what doesn't fulfill you and "Yes" to the things that fulfill you.

  • ???


You don't want (?) -

  • To pursue climbing the corporate ladder.

  • Accolades simply for time you've put in.

  • Pressure to fill your life with things that don't fulfill you.

  • Financial instability.

  • To live full time in a temperate climate.

  • A schedule/lifestyle that places stress and demands on your health and mental wellness.

  • To have your life centered around or connected to people that aren't supporting your choice to find fulfillment, passion and purpose.

  • ???

How many of these are matched by what you are doing now?
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A common mistake I see people make is assuming that their purpose must somehow connected to their expertise. I made the same mistake myself many times until I finally reached a point with the business I was running where I realized that I had achieved everything I had set out to do, was successful by most standards, but had little real happiness in my life.  I realized that I needed to do more than what I was good at - I needed to begin doing the things that gave my life meaning.  



If this sounds familiar to you, try writing down the list of things that have the most connection to what you want to be part of your life. If you haven't used this link, you may find the mission statement tool at this site a helpful starting place.http://www.franklincovey.com/missionbuilder/index.html (You can see a sample of the result here: http://www.incrediblepotential.com/mission.htm )

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 THE NEEDS OF YOUR JOB 

Can you go to your boss and present them with the list of things that are most important in your life and have them met with what you're currently doing? If not, and you realize that you want to pursue something new, what would it look like for you to go above and beyond your obligations to ensure that they have the time to find a replacement equal to or better than you in the job you are doing? What could you extend to them so that you leave with them indebted to you in the event you wished to return to the industry with their full support (not necessarily to the same job, but with a glowing recommendation)?


If you need more time before you take that next step, consider the idea of contracting for a set amount of time with the express intent that you will be leaving once it is up? 

-Your employer will have plenty of time to find a qualified replacement (or you will have time to sell or quit your business).

-You will have the incentive and time to determine what you feel you should do next.

-You will be able to operate in an environment where everyone knows what you're doing and can support your vision. 

-You will benefit from the synergy of the collective consciousness of everyone in your life, whereas you currently operate with complete honesty only with a handful of people, if at all.

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Once I made the commitment to walk away from the business that I thought would be my future and pass up good for great - I had the freedom to bring the things into my life that would contribute to what I truly wanted to achieve.  I even managed to go from working 80-hour work weeks to becoming semi-retired at age 33!  It still required hard work, sacrifice, some uncertainty and short-term stress, but I am shocked every time I look back and see that I started with almost nothing and created the life I never even dreamed I could have in less than a year.

While the time-frame may not be identical for everyone, I believe it is a possibility for everyone. They key is completely disconnecting yourself from the ladder climbing mentality and writing - in detail - a picture of what the things that would be part of your ideal life. The challenge is that we have been taught that we can't have everything we want and that we must suffer the road everyone else follows.

Have the courage to veer away from what you've been told and believe that it's possible to create a life that fills you with joy, purpose, abundance and opportunities to share what you have gained with others. Choose the road less traveled and find everything you desire along the way.

Graham White