03 Sep A 5-Minute Hack to Finding Your Life’s Work
“I would do something different if I only knew what to do.”
This seems to be one of the most common challenges keeping people from pursing work that matters. I hear it waaay too often.
And it’s especially common for the new members of the Live Your Legend community just starting the journey (although all of us face it off and on, forever)…
“I don’t know what I’m passionate about. I don’t know my strengths, talents or the difference I want to make in the world. If I did, I’d be doing something about it.”
I’ve been there… a lot. You know things need to change, but without a compelling and exciting vision to work towards, finding the motivation to take the next step can seem impossible.
That’s why the passion discovery process is such an important part of the first steps and why we developed our Live Off Your Passion Guided-Discovery Course. Because once you start to latch onto what’s possible and an idea you can’t not pursue, the snowball starts to roll.
But “not knowing” is not a free pass to sit and spin your wheels wasting your life doing something that’s not you. That’s how someday turns to never.
So today I want to offer a 5-minute 80/20 exercise that could make all the difference…
Get the answers from people close to you.
While in theory no one knows you better than you, oftentimes we get so deep in our own head, thoughts and fears that we subconsciously blind ourselves from seeing the obvious.
So instead of putting all the pressure on yourself, ask the people who know you best. Because sometimes the honest perspective of an outsider is all we need to finally see the light that’s been shining the whole time.
The process is simple: You’re going to write emails to five people close to you, asking them four questions.
Choose people who know you well, who will be honest with you and are from different walks of life. I’d suggest a colleague, past boss, spouse, parent, 1-2 close friends and a mentor. Bonus points for sending it to 2-3 of each of the categories (the more data the better), but don’t just ask your whole family. We want people who know you in different settings.
*Note: If you already know your current or future passion project, then change these questions to what’s relevant in your journey right now. Ask about positioning ideas, pricing, products or service you could offer or whatever. Just get in the habit of getting outside your own head.
And A Little Bonus: You reaching out to these people also lets them know you’re looking for interesting projects and people to engage with, which makes those connections a lot more likely to happen. #Winning!
Here are your four questions, which you’re welcome to modify:
1. What do you think are my biggest passions and why? If you can think of at least two or three, that would be great. Please explain.
2. What do you think are my biggest natural strengths and talents? Please explain.
3. Given the above and what you know about me, what have you always thought I’d be great at doing as a career? Or maybe as a volunteer or hobby? Please explain.
4. And here’s the big one… Assuming you didn’t know me personally, what talent, skill or passion would you happily pay me to teach or help you with? Why?
To make it ridiculously easy on you (and ensure you actually do this!), here’s an email template you can use. Be sure to personalize for each recipient…
Your no-brainer ‘Find Your Life’s Work’ email template:
*****
Subject: Need your thoughts on a new career I’m considering – by end of week if possible
Hi James –
As you know, I really want to start doing work I actually care about, so I’ve been spending a lot of time figuring out what’s next. Since you know me well, I’d love your quick help on this.
I’ve specifically been spending time understanding my passions and the things I like and am good at.
So, can you take a few minutes to answer the four questions below in as much detail as you feel comfortable with? You likely see me in a different way than I see myself and this would be a huge help. Please be as open and honest as possible.
Anything goes.
Here are the questions:
1. What do you think are my biggest passions and why? If you can think of at least two or three, that would be great. Please explain.
2. What do you think are my biggest natural strengths and talents? Please explain.
3. Given the above and what you know about me, what have you always thought I’d be great at doing as a career? Or maybe as a volunteer or hobby? Please explain.
4. And here’s the big one… Assuming you didn’t know me personally, what talent, skill or passion would you happily pay me to teach or help you with? Why?
You can just reply to this email and type right below each question.
If you can get back to me by end of this week, that would be awesome. I’m spending all day this Sunday [insert xx/xx date] working on this and meeting with a coach, so having your answers by then would be huge. [Note: Be sure your date is no more than a week out. Giving a specific (and honest) reason to have it done by a certain date will help get quick responses.]
Your thoughts on this will go a long way. Can’t wait to see what you think up, and to let you know what direction I take after I get a little more clarity. I’ve put this off way too long.
Huge thanks!
– Scott
*****
The Worst Step is No Step
“I don’t know what I want to do,” is not an excuse for inaction.
Most adventures begin without having a clue where they’ll lead. But we excitedly embark anyway.
The pursuit of what matters is no different. If you have a change you want to make, you must be ruthlessly dedicated to progress, no matter how small. There is no certain or exact next step. There never is. So any will do. As long as you’re learning, you’re moving forward.
Build the habit of discovery.
No matter what your stage, that’s the name of the game.
Get out of your own head and ask the people who know you best. They’ll provide insights you never could.
Now, start sending!
Your task today: Take five minutes right now and send at least two of these emails. Send the rest before the end of today. Better yet, send them all now. Bonus points for following up their responses with some live discussion, which is usually best over a workout or glass of wine (or three). 🙂
Then come back and tell us what you learn.
-Scott
—–
Image credit: Taken while hiking a little beach trail in Paros, Greece. See more of our adventure on Instagram.
JP
Posted at 06:26h, 04 SeptemberGreat suggestions Scott. About a year ago used a website (wish I could remember the name) that asked my friends, family, and peers to complete a survey about me and my personality traits. It was very telling! In fact, specifically to what I saw as my strengths and weaknesses it was very eye opening. My view of these was about 50% of what others saw.
Keep up the good work.
Scott
Posted at 07:22h, 04 SeptemberThis is a brilliant JP. Definitely something I need to think about making a part of LYL. Great call!
Michael
Posted at 08:29h, 04 SeptemberI did this a few years ago as part of the Live Off Your Passion course, and the responses were incredibly powerful and eye opening.
Thanks again for the tip Scott!
Gonzalo
Posted at 08:34h, 04 SeptemberIncredible Scott!!! What a great article! Recommending it right now. (I also take this opportunity to tell you that you don’t know how useful for me has been your work so far. Congratulations for that!!!)
Scott
Posted at 10:51h, 04 SeptemberI can’t tell you what that means to hear Gonzalo. So glad it’s helpful and that you’re a part of our little revolution over here!
Helen
Posted at 08:35h, 04 SeptemberGreat post, Scott. It’s always good to have an outside perspective because, as you say, you can sometimes get so wrapped up in yourself that it’s difficult to see. This is like a ‘reset’ button. Thank you. [Just wanted to say a big ‘thank you’ too, in general: you have helped me a great deal over the past few months, via your free downloads, TED talk, this blog etc – it’s really been a great support to me, to have that all available and you have provided a great deal of inspiration. Thank you: keep on doing what you’re doing! Your passion for it shines out of you and that’s a beautiful thing].
Scott
Posted at 10:52h, 04 SeptemberWow Helen – awesome to hear you’ve been putting it all to use. I can’t wait to hear what comes of all of it. Keep us posted!
Dean Bokhari
Posted at 12:13h, 04 SeptemberGreat post here, Scott. It’s like a 360-degree assessment, strengths finder overview, and gut-check all rolled into one! Ha. Keep up the great work man.
First time commenting here, but just wanted to let you know I’ve admired your work for a long time (long time = since the epic tedx talk).
Keep crushing it.
– Dean
Emily
Posted at 16:08h, 04 SeptemberThis is a great post. I did this about 3 years ago with my then roommate, my parents, and my brother. All of them told me pretty much the same things: I’m passionate about health, fitness, writing, and Spanish (I was working as a Spanish medical interpreter at the time, but felt unfulfilled). So I quit my job, moved to Miami FL, got a master’s degree in health, and then got the first job right out of grad school that I could find (out of panic!). Well, that job has not worked out, and my friends and family were quick to tell me that the job wasn’t me. The job also was making me incredibly anxious and causing me to lose sleep and have some emotional health issues. So I took a brave step and turned in my two weeks notice a few days ago. I am going to look for a job that allows me to write about health in both of the languages I love, and to communicate with people about fitness and wellness. It’s very scary to strike out without knowing what will happen next, but I refuse to live a life without passion. Good luck to those of you who are also taking big steps towards your goals!
Ray Ramos
Posted at 18:06h, 01 OctoberSo,Emily, how’s it going….?
Mara B
Posted at 01:46h, 05 SeptemberThank you, Scott! such an insightful post! I discovered that I don’t want to work in rehabilitation with disabled people anymore as a nurse and always wanted to write (and wrote) and paint. I started my own blog and I am currently working for a magazine where I connect with many artists and writers from all over the world. You have been an inspiration to me for the past months. I especially enjoyed your TEDx presentation. Thanks!
I’d Do Something Different If I Only Knew What To Do! | Gay Men's Life Coaching | Gay Life Coach | Gay Life Coaching
Posted at 10:10h, 05 September[…] Ironically, my friend Scott Dinsmore, founder of Live Your Legend, just wrote a killer blog post about finding your life’s work entitled “A 5-minute Hack For Finding Your Life’s Work!” […]
Mike Goncalves
Posted at 14:10h, 05 SeptemberEvery single post you put out Scott, is always full of value and immediate takeaways. It’s awesome and one of the many reasons I keep coming back. Such a great message here, especially where you say, “The worst step is no step”. In order to get to where I want to be and create what I want to create, I know I must take action. And if I don’t know what steps to take or which direction to head in, doing nothing about it is not a solution. As you stated here, I need to ask for help, for guidance, for support, for advise from either a colleague, past boss, spouse, parent, 1-2 close friends or a mentor. I couldn’t agree with you more that if I want to keep moving forward, I must keep learning. Thanks again Scott, you’re awesome and so is your work! Cheers!
ant
Posted at 13:57h, 06 SeptemberScott, do you only publish certain comments? I posted something a day or two ago and it is a no show.
Steve roy
Posted at 14:58h, 06 SeptemberHey Scott,
Although these questions are pretty standard (i.e all over the Internet already) as far as answering the question of “what am I best at/find your passion/work, etc”, I still love your dedication to your audience.
I follow your work pretty closely and really admire all that you have done and all the change you have brought about.
Isaac Berglind
Posted at 00:30h, 07 SeptemberGreat post. Finding one’s passion I think may be the most important thing in any individual’s life. This really allows you to live life to the fullest and not only experience passion and joy, but also having the ability to make your work a lifestyle, and have fun with your work. Doing your work because you love it, not because of the money is I think the ideal situation for a lot of people out there in the world, and finding your passion is the very first step to achieving this feat.
Ben
Posted at 04:19h, 07 SeptemberI LOVE this exercise. Way more useful than most annual reviews 😉
I did a similar exercise a few years ago and I can attest to the usefulness. The feedback I received from my close friends and family was they thought I was “creative”. This may not seem like a big deal but realize I never, ever considered myself a creative person before that. When I started embracing that a bit more I discovered they were right! This led to me starting my first blog, podcast, and even eventually taking improv classes which I still love doing.
I think everyone can benefit from this exercise.
Sebastian Aiden Daniels
Posted at 13:44h, 08 SeptemberInteresting experiment. I think that I am going to try this. I have a feeling that my friends, family, and former co-workers will say that I should be in the helping profession because I love helping people, talking to strangers, being creative, and listening.
Jessie
Posted at 06:40h, 11 SeptemberThank you for your post because I am now thinking of my next step because I am currently confused right now on what to do in my life.
Chris Krohn
Posted at 18:05h, 11 SeptemberScott – I really like your approach, and these exercises. I think we are conditioned to do what is practical, instead of following our hearts and fully expressing the unique talents and passions we have. Passion plus committed action leads to authentic success.
Kai Hartmann
Posted at 07:33h, 14 SeptemberHey Scott, what kind of mind-opening content. I love your approach connecting freethinking and passionate people all over the world. Cheers and best regards from Germany 🙂
Skimming Is Reading At Light Speed! - Insanity Mind
Posted at 12:08h, 22 September[…] the following link and apply the Skimming Technique to read the […]
Lynne
Posted at 00:36h, 24 SeptemberGreat thinking. I have a general idea of what my passion is but I an curious to what others may think. Will definitely try this out. Thanks for sharing.
Giving Birth to Your Radical Idea
Posted at 02:37h, 25 September[…] that isn’t you! You found step one remember? [For those who are still looking, here's some brilliant advice by Scott Dinsmore, founder of Live Your Legend here. All the best, you guys! […]
Nina
Posted at 21:51h, 03 NovemberNow I have a problem what to do with The answers. It was pretty much what I already knew, I am good at helping people and at development. What to do now?
Emily the Dodo
Posted at 16:40h, 25 MarchI’d say your next step would be to make a list of careers which involve helping people to develop themselves – life coach, teacher, therapist, personal trainer, health and fitness blogger, etc. – and see if one of those feels like a good match for your skills, Nina.
dandy trooper
Posted at 20:44h, 12 AprilI think your issue is common. Those are skills that can translate to any career. How I approach these questions is to look at industries I am interested in. I do that by looking at my online behavior…what topics, professions, products do I search for in my free time? What news stories or industry reports am I interested in? That is where I focus my attention, because that is what I am passionate about.
After narrowing down an industry, start looking at interesting jobs and if nothing sounds great, consider working toward creating your own position. It may be that starting your own business may be the best thing for you because the job you really want may not exist yet.
Ash
Posted at 04:59h, 03 DecemberHey Scott. Just a heads up to say you might want to change the wording in your email template to say, “So, can you take a few minutes to answer the FOUR questions below in as much detail as you feel comfortable with?”. Thanks for the inspiring words, work and community.
I have no excuse - that sucks. | Jellymeat
Posted at 14:39h, 21 December[…] this email I got today pointed me to one of his articles he wrote “A 5-Minute Hack to Finding Your Life’s Work.” The hack is awesome and for me intimidating, because I’m not actually sure who I would send […]
richelle
Posted at 13:50h, 13 JanuaryThis is awesome. Sharing with my sister who always tells me she just doesn’t know.
Kerry
Posted at 15:37h, 28 Januarythe emails have been sent(7 of them). Cant wait to compare and contrast what I view as to what they see……
Maria
Posted at 11:25h, 05 FebruaryThank you for this.
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Posted at 13:14h, 09 March[…] This one is from Scott Dinsmore, and it is called “A 5-minute Hack to Finding your Life’s Work” […]
Felecia Fullilove
Posted at 22:41h, 30 Marchsent out 6 emails and got 2 back right away. Got a lot of positive feedback! I was told I would get paid to talk to youth and young adults and motivate them, especially young women. I was also told that I can easily get people on board with my passions. I am passionate about so many things but people are drawn to my passionate spirit. That was encouraging. Basically I know that I have a backing wherever I go. 🙂
Li
Posted at 03:26h, 16 AprilI don’t know how to do this exercise. I don’t have any one who knows me well. My parents passed away some years ago. I have left my 10-year customer support job some months ago. My former colleagues and boss are friendly but we don’t communicate outside work. I have few friends. We chat via facebook sometimes. Once every few months we have dinner together. That’s about it. Don’t get me wrong. I am not upset about all these. My social life is just different from others.
LuxDie
Posted at 18:02h, 04 SeptemberIt’s perfectly OK if you don’t feel like this exercise is for you. Not everything works for everyone. This kind of exercise is easier for people with strong social relationships. Although that doesn’t mean you can’t think of somebody, somewhere, who knows you well enough.
Tamara
Posted at 18:04h, 27 AprilThis was an interesting exercise. I received some good feedback and some surprising responses. It’s very helpful to understand how other people see you and especially how they feel you can help them.
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Posted at 11:57h, 02 JuneMedical-Surgical Nursing in Canada: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems
Book DescriptionNew 1st Canadian edition of this popular text
coolcoolboy
Posted at 16:19h, 09 JuneVery powerful exercise! I inadvertently did this when I quit my corporate job without having anything else lined up. Over the next few months, I had these conversations over lunches and drinks with friends and colleagues. So I already have my answers. The problem is that I lack formal training and/or professional experience in the careers and passions that they mentioned (writing, headhunting/recruiting, event planning, life coaching), and I’m about to turn 45. Hopefully some of the next steps in this process deal with these answers.
LuxDie
Posted at 17:58h, 04 SeptemberYou don’t need any training to start doing something. If you don’t feel like you can charge for it, do it for free. Also your age doesn’t change anything, if you do work you love you’ll probably do it until the day you die.
Alin
Posted at 07:43h, 16 Junevery stupid advice with the emails… i’m sorry to say… but it’s the worst advice… heard.. each and every one of us..should figure out.. what are the activities they like most…and behind this activities… to identify the motivation in the back… No one knows which life you would like to live… other but yourself!:)
Archaeo
Posted at 18:54h, 07 JulyI am an archaeologist, however, people seem to think all I do is travel, connect people and help them with their problems. As a women of color this is a bit disappointing.
Jenny
Posted at 17:04h, 04 DecemberHey! Do you have a blog? I’d love to follow you, one of my goals is to learn GIS so that I can work with archaeologists! I am registered to take an archaeology class this spring but I don’t think i’m going to get around to it. Either way I’d love to hear about your experiences.
Gavin Millard
Posted at 08:37h, 26 AugustI’ve been working as a Pro Graphic Designer for approx 14 years now. I’m a creative with a serious eye for detail & I take great pride in my work.
I’ve recently become totally disillusioned with the whole Graphic Design industry. It’s a daily struggle to stop clients & marketing managers (who have no design skills) sabotaging a project with their “design input” at almost every opportunity. I can only describe it as “trying to paint a picture with other people grabbing the paintbrush” Some designers are fine with this & just do as they’re told for an easy life. However if you really care about the work you produce (like I do) it’s heartbreaking being made to ruin your own designs.
It’s time for a change. I thought about a side step into Pro Photography but I feel like throwing away my design skills/knowledge would be a shame. I want to focus my creative skills in a way that gets me back to being creative & loving it!, without all the corporate/marketing “design by committee” bullsh*t.
If anyone has any suggestions or advice it would be great to hear from you.
Thanks guys!
frejdis
Posted at 04:26h, 08 Octoberchange your clients and fire the ones sabotaging you. offer templates to more clients who want good design and not grabbing the paintbrush for spreading good design
Kay
Posted at 18:56h, 03 DecemberRead the “fountain head” or “atlas shrugged” by Ayn Rand. These two books are Gold for what you are going through.
I’m constantly in the same boat; and sometimes come across as arrogant and uncompromising, when it’s not like that at all.
Jenny
Posted at 17:07h, 04 DecemberI agree! Love both of those books, her writing style and her characters are the best.
Gavin Millard
Posted at 05:28h, 06 AprilThanks for the advice. I’ll check out those books.
Mia
Posted at 05:03h, 06 AprilDear Gavin, I see this post is 7 months. it could be interesting to know if you have used some of the advice given from other members of this community? I also have an idea. You mention going into Pro Photography, which makes really good sense in relation to your work as a pro in graphic design. Have you thought about the possibility to teach? Maybe that could be a nice option for you, since you have so many years of experience I am thinking you are qualified to teach others in this field. Maybe also a way to demonstrate good design skills to others and also learn potential students about being true to the good design and navigating in their future careers with demanding clients, how haven’t really got he thorough understanding of graphic design? Good luck here from Denmark.
Gavin Millard
Posted at 05:33h, 06 AprilThanks for your feedback Mia. I did think about teaching, but decided it wasn’t for me. I’m now training in Photography.
Maria Baikova
Posted at 03:17h, 15 AprilHi Gavin!
Have you thought of working with microstocks?
(Like shutterstock for example).
I think it’s a perfect place to be creative without feeling any pressure from clients, managers, etc. There are no deadlines, no strict requirements. Plus you’re working anywhere and anytime you want!
It might be interesting for you as a graphic designer as well as pro photographer, so you’ll be able to express both of your passions.
Plus microstocks give you passive income, so after a while you’ll be able to work not that hard, travel more or write a blog about photography and design for example.
In fact, when I read your comment, I thought “this guy just saying the words that are on my mind!”
I’m working as a web designer for 4 years, but ve I realized pretty soon that I’m not expressing my ideas at full potential. So I kept constantly asking myself “what’s next’
I’ve always was fascinated with illustration and graphics. I tried to find a job as a graphic designer, but it didn’t work out very much. So now i’m moving towards illustration field, particularly vector illustration (that I upload to shutterstock) and learning hand drawing as well.
So, think of it. Microstocks can be pretty fun, give you an ability to express your ideas and explore new design areas without any office hustle.
Gavin Millard
Posted at 03:33h, 15 AprilHi Maria, Thanks for the feedback.
I’ve just recently started selling my photography on stock image libraries whilst I’m training in Photography. I haven’t uploaded any illustrations/vector work though, that’s a good idea.
Thanks and good luck with your illustration work.
Maria Baikova
Posted at 13:53h, 15 AprilHope I helped you in some way))
3 Lies About Your Life Purpose (+ How to Find the Truth) - UNROGUE
Posted at 07:47h, 31 August[…] https://liveyourlegend.net/a-5-minute-hack-to-finding-your-lifes-work/ […]
báshir Hassàn
Posted at 20:30h, 25 SeptemberI was reading this when I reached to the point where you have written ‘you’re going to ask five people who are close to you , ‘ this task didn’t bother me , the intention which did was knowing that if I ask them , will they even reply me out of jealousy that I’m doing something they aren’t doing, ? I’m 17 , I have a blog , I write atleast once a week ! So what do I need to do now having this fear ! ??
K.Bee
Posted at 21:31h, 17 OctoberThe very first sentence of this post has a typo. “…keeping people from pursing work that matters,” should be “pursuing,” not “pursing.”
Maybe text editing is my passion…
Thanks!
Syntropic Sunday #21 Live Your Legend
Posted at 22:09h, 05 December[…] his website I came across some very useful posts like this one. It only takes you five minutes (and a bit of help from your friends), but it is a very powerful […]
Kristin H.
Posted at 08:36h, 09 DecemberI did a lighter version of this on the toolkit. Interestingly (the whole getting outside my own head helped, by the way) common themes that emerged were program or project management, advocacy, and human resources. I suppose on some level this has always made some sense but I was stuck in the mindset of my current career such that I couldn’t see it. Ironically, I have been asked since then to apply for an internal role at my company managing diversity and inclusion. The role falls under the HR umbrella and requires extensive project management, while advocating for those who are undeserved in the industry. Amazing how that shift in perspective can open doors. Oh, I found out last week I got the new role, too. A bit of a shift from marketing and business development, which is what I was doing. This is a fantastic exercise for helping broaden one’s perspective so they are able to see additional open doors to a career shift.
PG
Posted at 10:53h, 28 JanuaryHey. To be honest I’m still apprehensive about the entire program. But today I finally took a step and sent out some emails. Fingers crossed 🙂 hoping to change my attitude and better my life!
Eugene Howard
Posted at 10:23h, 12 FebruaryOk so this is DONE. Took me a week to get it done. I KNOW I have a hard time asking for help but this really brought it home HOW much asking for help is a problem for me…..
J Cook
Posted at 10:21h, 27 FebruaryFingers crossed… emails have been sent out to 3 friends, 1 family member, a previous boss, a prevuous photo professor and 1 mentor.
Asya Gorina
Posted at 22:38h, 07 AprilHi! Thank you for the article and you inspiring lecture at TED:) I have one question: what if I know exactly what I want to do with my life, but frankly speaking, I suck at it? To be more specific, there’s nothing more interesting for me in this life than physics, and I spend hours daily doing math as a hobby, reading news of science and exploring literature on the field, but as soon as I start solving problems in math in physics I fail in 90% chances..? BTW, I’m 24 and graduated from school of journalism and people who know me best confirm that I’m awful at math & science in general.
Terri
Posted at 15:01h, 10 AprilHi Asya; What about science journalism, science communications (we teach this degree at the university where I work), or technical writing? Just thinking aloud about a way to enable you to “geek out” on physics in a way that embraces your writing talent. Science journalism needs people who are passionate about science, not just about writing.
Asya Gorina
Posted at 15:18h, 10 AprilThis was the first thing I thought about. So I worked as a science journalist for three years when I lived in Russia (where I’m from). But in Russia nobody’s interested in funding such things, so I was basically just rewriting American and British press releases (no chance to express myself) and was payed about 400$ per month for working 40 hours/week. Now when I moved to New York I realized that it requires a lot more skills to get a decent job in science journalism here in the US. Am I right?
Terri
Posted at 17:04h, 10 AprilAs I haven’t compared the skills required for science journalism in Russia or America, I wouldn’t be able to comment on the credentials piece. But even if there are more skills required in the US, that strikes me as a way forward. Would New York present opportunities to talk with people in the industry? I’m sure you’ve already thought about these things – just my thoughts.
Asya Gorina
Posted at 17:12h, 10 AprilOn your personal opinion, is it worth struggling for me to become a scientist? Or you have to have a gift from nature to succeed in this field? Just interested
Gigi
Posted at 06:15h, 20 MayAsya you were actually headed towards a great discussion. I myself am stuck at that point as well. I am also 24, which actually makes me believe a lot of people our age and most millennials actually have a problem with this. We were grown up to all of these people telling us to follow our dreams, which is great, but not many actually take in the fact that the world runs on money and competition way more than it did in their time.
I am simply hungry. I have 3$ left in my bank account. I cannot survive doing what I love doing. I couldn’t even get to experience it and learn it enough, and I too am not sure I even have the required talent for it because I too tried to work in that field, and I tried to combine my passion with a field that brings in money but I simply can’t. I need way more skills and qualifications just to even compete with 10 000+ people fighting for the same job and I hate competition. I just want to be able to work, period.
I suppose we will simply be disappointed and miserable for the rest of our lives. Not because we were told to do what we love, don’t get me wrong, but because the system in the world, the economy, and the over-population does not have the capacity for everyone doing what they are naturally talented in doing.
Terri
Posted at 14:57h, 10 AprilThis is really a powerful exercise. I am in the midst of making a career change back DOWN the ladder to have the kind of work that is my “life force,” to quote Robin Wright on her recent move from acting to directing. When I sent this out, I got huge feedback that this is the right choice for me. The person you are shines through to people – the answers are affirming, surprising, energizing and positive. And so I am on the cusp of a big change that will see me take a deep breath and GO!
Adriana
Posted at 10:41h, 19 MayI was glad that this post convinced me of sending those e-mails. I didn’t do it the first time but decided to give a try after seeing that the post was still open in my window. The answers I got were really helpful. Some coincided with my thoughts, but others were surprising… although they made sense to me. I think this exercise is good at least to boost your confidence. It is also helpful in the process of “becoming self-experts”. It made me re-label some of my features as “strengths” instead of seeing them just as “features” or even as weaknesses.
Now I’m trying to analyze all that I got, combined with my thoughts during the past weeks. Hopefully something will come out out of it…
GiGi
Posted at 06:28h, 20 MayHi Scott, thank you for the inspiring article. I am 24 years old, and a lot of people our age and most millennials actually have a problem with this ideology. We were grown up to all of these people -older than us- telling us to follow our dreams, which makes perfect sense, but not many actually take in the fact that the world runs on money and competition way more than it did in their time. This was an easier thing to do before the 21st Century.
I am simply hungry. I have 3$ left in my bank account. I cannot survive doing what I love doing. I couldn’t even get to experience it and learn it enough, and I too am not sure I even have the required talent for it. I finished the best schools available and prepared myself my whole life and tried to get into a job in my field, and I tried to combine my passion with a field that brings in money but I simply can’t do it. I need way more skills and qualifications just to even compete with 10 000+ people fighting SO hard for the same one job. I hate competition and there are some evil horrible people out there ready to crush your soul as soon as you try to get the same job as them.
I ended up serving like a slave to a top-notch film director for years and carrying heavy machinery, (I am a 5 foot girl) exhausting all my strengths, being sleepless for days on end, and now I am sick to my core and cannot physically or mentally carry on with this competition. I just want to get a job in an office planning, organizing and scheduling a film production. I just want to be able to do what I am capable of doing, period.
I suppose most of us millennials will simply be disappointed and miserable for the rest of our lives. Not because we were told to do what we love, don’t get me wrong, but because the system in the world, the economy, and the over-population does not have the capacity for everyone doing what they are naturally talented in doing.
A 5 Minute Hack to Finding Your Life’s Work | The Road to Ikigai
Posted at 11:39h, 27 July[…] did what I’ve always done, googled a solution. I came across an article on Live Your Legend’s website that detailed a practical exercise to figure out your […]