4 STEPS TO DOING WHAT YOU LOVE AND LOVING WHAT YOU DO
My personal trainer shared the following quote with me on my 41st birthday—the first time I was unemployed in over 25 years. It’s been three years of ups and downs and I would like to share a few of the highlights.
Les Brown says, “When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up.”
The road to doing what you love
For so many of us, the road to doing what you love and loving what you do is bumpy and may not even lead to where you think you should be heading. And not only that, you’re going to fall down so many times, you will grow thicker skin.
I’ve written this article for the young people who believe in themselves and want to embrace life rather than stumble through it. I’d like to save you some time and heartache by sharing my story and the first four steps I took to start navigating my life. Because right now—at age 44—I’m doing what I love and loving what I do, and I love my life!
How to dream
Why didn’t they teach How to Dream in school? Instead they told me about the corporate dream and this is exactly how it went:
- Get a good education.
I did: BMath from University of Waterloo plus an accounting designation, CPA, CMA.
- Get a good job.
I did: Accounting in software, ice cream, healthcare, construction, and consumer goods.
- Get married.
I did: For almost 12 years.
- Have kids.
We did: We have two amazing boys, ages 10 and practically 12.
- Work 40 for 40.
I did: More than 40 hours a week for almost 16 years.
I did: My employer thought it was time for me to go.
Wait! What?!
In “Outwitting the Devil”, Napoleon Hill calls this corporate dream,
“drifting or sleeping through life.”
So what about wanting something more?
Where the road really began
I was an entrepreneur at a young age; I grew and sold pumpkins. A couple years later we lost our garden so I went into business with my cousin. We grew the pumpkins on my grandparents’ farm and we outsourced the selling to his other grandmother. I lost interest and the business stopped because I was no longer involved.
Inheriting my beliefs
When I was 12 or 13 I started working because that is what I believed you did. My Dad had a good job as a teacher and my mom was home when we were younger. My brother and sister were older than me and they had jobs at my age and almost everyone I knew had a job. For 25 years I worked for other people or corporations until the day before my 41st birthday when I was restructured out of my Finance Manager job and for the first time in my adult life—I didn’t have a job.
A fresh start
I had time and I started to read. I read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and his idea that, “it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert,” really resonated with me.
I realized that I could be a world-class expert by leveraging the 10,000 hours I have already completed in all sorts of different areas.
Discovering my why
As I struggled with who I was and what I had to offer, I read Start with Why by Simon Sinek.
I learned that, “until I convinced myself—no one else would be convinced by me.”
Looking for answers
I continued to look outside for the answers by reading more books, and then doing both the Quantum Leap and Global Mastermind programs with New Peaks. I was in love with all of the new knowledge. However, I didn’t give myself time to take action and implement. I simply moved on to the next shiny learning opportunity.
Defining me
I’m not defined by my job, my profession, or by being a husband or Dad. I am me!
I grew up knowing only this equation:
Profession = Purpose + Passion
We all know that didn’t work for me so I reversed the process and looked inside first. What is my passion? What if I start with passion then add purpose to discover my profession?
Passion + Purpose = Profession
Passion + Purpose = Profession
Up until that fateful day-before-my-41st birthday, I moved from job to job because I wasn’t passionate about the business or the work I was doing and I only served a company or an owner. What was my purpose? Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t fueling me.
My Passion: I love working with numbers, money, and helping people.
I’ve experienced my share of problems with money, planning, and spending, and fixed them all. I’m also good at discovering and learning about sources of money many people don’t know they have. And when I help people find money, it makes them happy! So why not make this my profession?
My Purpose: By teaching financial literacy and helping provide a strategic plan for the future, I can guide entrepreneurs to live their dreams.
My Profession: I am an Accountant, Financial Advisor, and Strategic Planner.
Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want.”
Now you…
It took my lifetime plus three years of tough lessons, mini triumphs, painful falls, and many introspective moments lying there on my back to learn how to navigate my personal journey to doing what I love and loving what I do.
And now it’s your turn.
To start your dream journey, complete my checklist for you. It will help you navigate your life, just like it did for me.
“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
– Marc Anthony
Checklist
- Look inside your heart and not just your mind.
- Complete the online test to discover your 5 Love Languages.
5lovelanguages.com - Watch the Start with Why Ted Talk video.
Ted.com /simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action - Discover the values that drive your decisions.
What do you value?