Avocationist

Photos: (c) Allan Bacon (left) and by fazen (right)

For most of my career, I was busy with work and the little remaining time was dedicated to my family. While this arrangement made me feel like I was taking care of everything, over time it left me feeling hollow.

Somehow I knew that the empty feeling was from not doing the things in life I was born to do.

When the pace would slow down a bit I would think up big plans for how I could fix my work or my life to fill that gap. But none of these dreams were practical – and deep down I didn’t believe that they would really fix things anyway.

Then one Saturday afternoon about ten years ago, I had a realization: I had been getting little signals all along about how to find what I was made to do. I just needed to follow my spark.

It happened when I took this photo of my daughter.

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Photo by Roby Ferrari

Have you completed employee reviews in the last month? Did it feel like a good use of your time? Did you feel like you were really building value in your company or did you feel like you were checking off a box on someone else’s cover-my-butt list?

Be honest.

When your Outlook calendar is completely colored in and you don’t know what half of the meetings are, you should probably start to think about giving yourself a demotion.

I’ve been inspired reading Seth Godin’s new book “Linchpin” which launches today. (Buy it here. I love the book because you can dive in anywhere and pick up some uncomfortably challenging advice.)

In the spirit of Seth's book, I offer my favorite way to free up time while making a bigger impact at work...

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Photo by TheGiantVermin

7:06 pm at the Hilton. Running late from work. Pay my $15. Put on nametag. Gulp. Walk into a ballroom of strangers standing around chatting. Everyone knows someone but me. Crap. Maybe I’ll just stand in the corner…

Have you ever experienced the "yuck" factor of networking? Do you feel like you have to pretend to be someone different to make new contacts? Do you feel guilty about bothering people you'd like to meet?

I did too. Then I learned that networking was something I already knew how to do.

I just had to forget everything I'd read about the "right way" to connect with people.

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Photo by renedepaula

Do you have too many interests and not enough time?

Here's a quick way to try out your secret dreams, create some new ideas and sow the seeds of your next adventure - all without leaving your desk.

Today I used it to feed my "travel jones" during lunch: I went to Brazil.
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Pam Slim has just published Escape from Cubicle Nation
based on her hugely popular blog of the same name. Pam’s work focuses on helping corporate employees start their own businesses. [Side note: I highly recommend this book if you are considering making the move]

In the first excerpt from our interview, Pam explains how she started the blog and gives insights into how she has successfully balanced the practical parts of her life with her passion for helping budding entrepreneurs.

 

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Do you ever get a feeling that your job has lost its luster? A job that used to motivate you now requires you to get yourself pumped up before you do it?

Check out what I learned at a No Doubt concert this weekend - how to know when you have outgrown your work.

Watch until the end for an invitation to a series of classes I'm offering (you can also get more information here).

Photo courtesy Joshua Rappeneker

Want to do something different, but can't figure out what it is? Or how to do more meaningful work without jeopardizing your lifestyle?

Join me for a special tele-class this Wednesday night, June 10th at 5pm ET: Don't wait to test-drive your dreams (How to start now without quitting your job).

It's free for my newsletter subscribers.
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Business trips suck - we all know that. But did you know that business trips and lunch breaks can be 2 of the best times to find fun?

On my first trip to Hong Kong, I learned that they can be great times to try out new interests - the first step towards developing your calling.

I knew a guy (call him 'Tom') who had a detailed "Top 10" list of requirements for any prospective girlfriend. She had to be blonde, athletic, intelligent, Ivy League-educated, successful, from a good family, and more.

Tom met a woman once who came close, but when every date was compared to that top 10 ideal, how could any real-life relationship survive? (By the way, he's pushing 40 now and is still single.)

I think that Tom had it all backwards.

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About four years ago, I was getting ready for my first-ever trip to Asia - to Hong Kong and China for business.

Because I was traveling so far, I had to stay over the weekend. So as a way to keep in touch with my daughters, I came up with a game.

They each gave me a list of 5 things that they wanted a photo of. This provided "focus" for my sightseeing time and was a fun way to spice up my emails.

So, I photographed a chicken, a lot of dogs and even an elephant (I had to cheat on this one - it was on a bag of Indian rice at a grocery store). The only one I couldn't get was a squirrel - apparently there aren't many of them in Hong Kong.

But because I was so aware of everything around me, I saw some other things, too. Like the flower vendors and the way they wrapped their products. And the way people talked to each other on the Star Ferry going to the main island.

And it reminded me of times when I had "a-ha" moments in my career. Times where something just clicked and I realized what I needed to do next - and then saw opportunities all over the place.

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