Last week in one of my coaching sessions, my client and I had a riveting discussion about financial survival vs. doing what you love. This incredible individual is an extremely talented and capable person, but has unfortunately been out of a job for a while. She now feels like she’s reached the point of no return where she has to take any job to pay her bills and was deeply troubled that she was giving up and selling out.
She recently read Professional Destiny so I reminded her of the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs discussion included right up front in chapter three. It’s essential to remember that our needs build upon each other. To demonstrate this, Maslow presents the hierarchy of needs as a triangle. At the base are Physiological (physical survival needs) and Safety (the need for security and stability). These needs MUST be met before you can address the higher level of Self Actualization at the top. As I mentioned in an earlier post When Temporary Work Leads to Your Life’s Work, if you’re living at a survival level and spending most of your time worrying about paying your bills and meeting basic needs, it’s quite hard to focus on finding your life’s work. If you’re anxious on a daily basis, you may want to consider taking a temporary job to pay the bills while you focus on finding your ideal career. In other words, it’s important to find a way to generate enough income so that you’re not in turmoil over a lack of it.
Even if an opportunity isn’t your idea of the perfect career, it can help you build a foundation while you focus on other things. You’ll be more effective and creative, if you’re not anxiety-ridden and struggling to survive.
If you find yourself in a financial crisis situation, my advice is twofold:
1. Take a survival job—and feel good about it! There is absolutely no shame in taking care of yourself. In fact, it’s smart. It’s incredibly hard to find your Professional Destiny if you’re beginning to panic about how to pay your rent, support your children or put food on the table. Take a position to ease the stress and meet your basic needs for survival and safety. But don’t stop there…
2. Invest time in your future. Find a minimum of three hours a week (in the evenings or weekends) to pursue your passion and develop your skills. It could be that you attend night school or vocational training. It could be that you build your website for a business that you want to start and begin building a community or customer base. Or it could be that you volunteer in an organization that you’re passionate about. As you learn the ropes, you’ll meet new people and build new contacts in the exact field you’re interested in. Who knows? You may be the next one hired!
As Maslow suggests, once your survival needs are met you are free to focus on your full self expression. Then you’ll have more energy and confidence to find work that truly energizes you, taps into your creative energy and reawakens your spirit. The path to your Professional Destiny isn’t always an expressway, but with determination and persistence you will get there.
September 21, 2010
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
—Seneca
When good fortune strikes it’s best to be prepared. If you are, you’ll be able to capitalize on a golden opportunity when it comes along. While the process of discovering the career you were born for is incredibly rewarding, it also takes a great deal of discipline. Discipline can make the difference between knowing where you want to go and actually getting there.
The following is an excerpt from Professional Destiny of effective ways to be prepare yourself for that opportunity you’ve been waiting for:
Prioritize. Determine the things that need to be done in order to meet your goal and prioritize them in order of importance. Make time to practice your gift every day, whatever it is, by reading, studying or building a network of people who can support your efforts, inspire you and help move you along.
Be decisive. When you face a choice and need to make a decision, choose what means the most to you, even if it’s difficult. Deciding is the first step. Even if you make a wrong decision, you are at least making movement and gaining experience. You can quickly correct it. Remember: not deciding is deciding. It is deciding to do nothing.
Take action. Discipline of action and procrastination are polar opposites. Conquer the resistance that tends to want to put short-term gratification first. Get determined and weed out any urge to procrastinate as soon as you feel it take hold. Then walk your talk and have your actions match your commitments.
Handle the difficulties. Life is tough, and having discipline means that you handle the difficulties. After all, problems don’t go away by themselves. Ignoring unpleasant tasks is an act of procrastination. A natural tendency is to want to handle the more pleasant tasks at hand first, but that just keeps the problems looming out on the horizon, like a big, depressing weight pulling you down. It can affect your mood, your health and your sense of initiative. Difficult situations must be addressed head-on or remain a block to your growth and development. When you face a significant challenge, develop an action plan and write the steps down. Then force yourself to tackle part of it, or all of it, before you do anything else—especially the things that are easier. The benefit is that you can put the unpleasant things behind you and enjoy a sense of accomplishment.
Get determined. Growth is a journey, and on any journey you will encounter unforeseen obstacles. Your ability to overcome these barriers will determine whether you succeed. It takes complete dedication, a whatever-it-takes mindset.
Practice, practice, practice. Practice your gift every day and develop your skills. Be willing to be a student and take time to learn. People who become the best at what they do devote time to their chosen profession. Set aside a chunk of time every day. This is easy if you do what you love, and love what you do.
Be responsible. Realize that you are the driver of your life and you have the ability to respond to each situation. Take ownership. You cannot take a hands-off approach and expect to become a master of your gift.
Dare to be remarkable. If you pattern yourself after others, you will be like others and consequently will be… ordinary. The people who show an absolute conviction to make it, who pick themselves up when they fall, who fully invest their effort, time and energy, are the ones who accomplish extraordinary results.
September 8, 2010
Last week in one of my coaching sessions, my client and I had a riveting discussion about financial survival vs. doing what you love. This incredible individual is an extremely talented and capable person, but has unfortunately been out of a job for a while. She now feels like she’s reached the point of no return where she has to take any job to pay her bills and was deeply troubled that she was giving up and selling out.
