Tired of compromise
Just yesterday, I came to a conclusion. I'm tired of compromising my passions with my job. I am less that 8 years out of college, and I have had nine jobs, none of them I was passionate about. The one I held the longest, and enjoyed the most, ended up burning me out, and now I'm in yet another job where my soul is being drained, my interests are atrophied from lack of activity, and I'm in a place where I can't take it anymore.
I'm ready for a change. Now. I own 48 days, and the Extreme Eaglepreneur package, but I'm stymied by step 1. It's been so long since I've had a chance to believe that my dreams could become real, I find that I don't know where to look for my passion, my calling, my vocation.
Being a precisionist, this is a difficult place for me, as clear directions are all but non-existent. Add to that being a Jack-of-all-Trades, having multiple disparate interests, and I'm left confused. The happiest times that I can remember involves vacations to different places, but I'm struggling find a way turn that into a career. I very much enjoy philosophy and the study of Christianity, and have been involved with leading Sunday schools in the past. I also have a long-standing love of technology, and while I'm very handy fixing computers, that was the job I mentioned getting burned-out with. Now in addition, let's add a fondness for writing, an enjoyment of jewelry-making, love of hunting, and skills in construction and home repair.
I realize that my varied interests cannot all be joined together in one super-job, but with the plethora of choices at my command, my mind has gone into overload mode. If any of you have been in a similar situation, or can offer a modicum of advice or direction, you would have my everlasting thanks.
I'm ready for a change. Now. I own 48 days, and the Extreme Eaglepreneur package, but I'm stymied by step 1. It's been so long since I've had a chance to believe that my dreams could become real, I find that I don't know where to look for my passion, my calling, my vocation.
Being a precisionist, this is a difficult place for me, as clear directions are all but non-existent. Add to that being a Jack-of-all-Trades, having multiple disparate interests, and I'm left confused. The happiest times that I can remember involves vacations to different places, but I'm struggling find a way turn that into a career. I very much enjoy philosophy and the study of Christianity, and have been involved with leading Sunday schools in the past. I also have a long-standing love of technology, and while I'm very handy fixing computers, that was the job I mentioned getting burned-out with. Now in addition, let's add a fondness for writing, an enjoyment of jewelry-making, love of hunting, and skills in construction and home repair.
I realize that my varied interests cannot all be joined together in one super-job, but with the plethora of choices at my command, my mind has gone into overload mode. If any of you have been in a similar situation, or can offer a modicum of advice or direction, you would have my everlasting thanks.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Kevin Miller - Free Agent on -
Justin,
You can now join a majority of the people here with what you've laid out. What you write above...could very well be me. That should mean something...as I'm Dan's son.
You have a sea of people who are going through the motions and don't even stop to question the fact that they are all acting as little mice on a wheel. Then you have a minority, like the folks on this site, who realize it's insane and they are slaves. So they want more.
BUT...most folks of this nature have lots of ideas and interests and thoughts to muddle through. 48 Days gives some great direction, of course. Doing the Personality Profile is wonderful. There is no exact cookie cutter though, everyone is unique.
With all you mentioned above, the main thing I'd spend time looking for is - A COMMON THREAD. It won't run pure, but you should fine some common threads that tell about your true heart, passion, skills and abilities. If you take my whole list of interests, you'll find that I like risk, adventure and building. Just those aspects alone will nix a zillion ideas I might have if they don't fit that model. But those aspects don't mean I have to be a hands on sky-scraper builder. At heart I'm a writer. So I spend most of my days writing, in regards to building businesses and new ideas. The risk is usually financial, or just success/failure. The adventure is building new things! And I realize that once something is fully built, I may be ready to move on, or build another aspect to the business.
Make sense?
Now on a side tangent, I also fulfill those same things by living at 9,300 feet above sea level in the Rocky Mountains, in the middle of a National Forest. I do long, remote trail runs, rock climb, ski, mountain bike, etc...
Notice the thread.
If you can find those qualities that are distinctly you, you can plug them in to many opportunities.
-
Permalink Reply by Archie Winningham on -
Justin,
From where I stand, as a non-business owner, and seeing through the last couple of years that I have known you all you have accomplished, you WILL make the right decisions. I know that because I can tell you are seeking God's will for your life. Just continue to heed that call and you will continue to rock man!
Also, be sure to hang close to the 48Days team. I believe God is using this site to help a lot of folks figure things like this out. 48Days wasn't created just by chance and for no reason. God doesn't make mistakes.
Great post brother.
Archie
-
Permalink Reply by Dan Bartram on -
Justin,
First, congratulations on getting to the point where you are ready and willing to do something about your situation. That is key to any kind of real change in direction!
You're definitely not alone with what you describe - it sounds like you might easily get bored, which is something I can relate to personally (something that my DISC even highlighted).
Since you've had so many jobs, I would suggest writing down what you liked most about each one. List anything that you even remotely enjoyed about the job. This will help you identify that common thread that Kevin mentioned.
Dan Miller also frequently suggests listing 20 ways you can earn an income in something you are passionate about - I would suggest doing that with your love of travel, studying philosophy, etc. It might be seem hard at first, but just list the ways you think about without over analyzing them (you'll talk yourself out of writing it down.) Once you have your list it could help you see other ideas related to them. BTW, check out the Adventure Junkies group - Kevin Crowe has a business where people pay him to set up adventures...
You also mentioned that you have the 48 Days material and the Eaglepreneur package...that's great. Keep investing in yourself like that - it does pay off!
Dan
-
Permalink Reply by Chris Humphrey Photographer on -
Interesting post, Justin. I honestly think most everyone can relate to your situation in more ways than one. Our "purpose" is definitely a conversation starter. Since you received some amazing guidance from the previous posts, I thought I'd make my first post one with a couple potential ideas based upon your interests. Here we go:
You like to travel, write, are a Spiritual leader and are tech savvy. How about a leading a faith-based tourism company that not only sets up the travels, but serves as the authority on the various destinations, helping to make this more than just a vacation, but an experience. Create your own travel logs for the destination that you share with your clients letting them experience things from a uniquely creative point of view, yours. Make the log a sort of J. Peterman-type catalog giving them something to really treasure after the journey. Maybe create a complete package for each destination and include treasures you have found or one-of-a-kind item you create that they can add to the wonderful finds of their own. I think many people today have lost the excitement of the treasures found at many exotic and not so exotic locales around the country and the world. They opt for a t-shirt and a postcard and never leave the tour bus. Make your tours exclusive and totally unique. You already know about a USP, and you have the tech savvy to market online. Start small, create the ultimate travel blog from your travels and then spiral that into the ultimate travel guide! And who wouldn't to travel with the guy who wrote the ultimate travel guide? I know this is a bit heavy, but never underestimate the power of "fake it 'til you make it". When you believe it, you can sell it!
Be well!
-
Permalink Reply by Matt Williams on -
Justin,
I know EXACTLY where your coming from.I was stuck in a career that I hated for almost 20 yrs.God has opened other doors for me and I am very grateful.Just hang in there bud,God WILL move on your behalf.It may not come on your timetable,but it WILL happen.More importantly,it will happen at the right time. Hope this encourages you.
Matt
-
Permalink Reply by Justin on -
After great amounts of thought, prayer, talking to wife, and introspection, I've finally come to several conclusions.
1) A traditional work style is not suited to my personality. I work in great concentrated spurts, during which time, I'm very productive. However, after the spurt is over, I need time to recuperate before resuming work. This doesn't work well in a "you need to be at work all 8 hours you are here" mentality. So revelation 1, I want/need flexibility in my work schedule.
2) I love to travel, and work with my hands, but technology and especially computers is one thing that I've always been passionate about. So revelation 2, incorporate technology into my work.
3) My varied interests require me to commit time to enjoy them. Working traditional jobs doesn't allow for much in the way of energy or time for the pursuit of those activities. Revelation 3, find work, that allows me to spend time on hobbies without sacrificing income.
4) I have a natural talent with my hands, and can do most manual tasks with ease. Revelation 4, find a way to work with my hands, if possible.
In the short-term, possibly long-term, I want to find a way out of my current job, without too much loss in income. I have little savings at the moment, as we've been paying off debt. I currently have several ongoing medications, and a 6-month daughter, and thus want health insurance and life insurance to replace what I'll lose when leaving the job.
So with that in mind, and exploring what possibilities lay in store for me, I've come up with several ideas, that I want help developing.
Idea 1 - Home-based computer repair
This would involve me working out of my home doing computer repair. My last position was as a desktop technician, and I'm very good at it.
My former employer used on-site repair for most of their warranty hardware repair when I left, and I still have a good relationship with them. This would provide me with an immediate customer base, as I'm sure I could work out something that would allow me to be their exclusive on-site technician for warranty repair.
In addition, since it's a university, and I had a good relationship with most of the employees there, I could easily provide them with continuing support on their home PCs, not to mention providing support for students.
This provides me with a decent launch point for a customer base, but I need help on details. This will be the first time I've started a business, and while my father has started and led several, they've been more traditional in style. So here are my questions.
Do I need to set up an LLC?
How much do I need to account for insurance costs?
How much should I set aside for taxes?
How do I fix my prices?
How should I orient my web presence?
Where can I find a good website developer?
I look forward to your insightful responses.
-
Permalink Reply by Don McCallum on -
Justin,
Perhaps you'd make a good missionary to a place that needs people with your skills.
(No, I'm not kidding, and I'm not trying to be mean, either)
I'm serious !
All the skills you mention could be utilized !
-
Permalink Reply by Vince on -
Check out the Mosaic podcast on itunes. I think the message is unleashing the creative spirit (4-16-06). Erwin Mcmanus is a great teacher that can inspire people that are in your place. Don't get so crazy to find something that you get ahead of Gods timing. Having been is business for myself for the majority of the last 15 years I have found that His timing is always perfect and best. If He builds your dreams and focuses your vision it will stand. I too have struggled with multiple interests and am only now beginning to experience some focus. Lastly, go to a bookstore and buy the Clifton Strengths Finder. It is a great tool that will work with the DISC profile from Dan Miller.
Search
Have a question or want to connect? Enter in some keywords here to see what we're already saying!
Weekly Podcast
Good stuff from 48days
© 2013 Created by Jon Dale.
