| > | | | | speaking schedule, and a book — all focused on |
| | | | helping others in mid-life discover and do what they |
| The big question: What’s really important? | | | | love. Every day in my practice, I see people who are |
| The message I deliver most to mid-life professionals is | | | | having the same emotional, professional, financial, and |
| that a key ingredient of happiness is finding vocational | | | | relationship challenges that I went through. |
| passion. It’s finding the perfect alignment of | | | | It wasn’t easy getting here. The first few years |
| interests and abilities that make going to work seem | | | | were extremely painful. Financial stress increased, |
| like it isn’t work at all. | | | | relationships were strained, and emotional stress |
| People who find the magic balance tend to be | | | | reached all-time highs. But now, three years later, I |
| healthier and more energetic. In turn, they find more | | | | have finally emerged with a more congruent and |
| satisfaction in other areas of their lives. | | | | authentic life. I say with confidence that it has all been |
| Too many people go through life without having their | | | | worth it. |
| interests and abilities aligned. The inevitable result is a | | | | The first step: Know what matters to you |
| feeling of deep ennui as people drag themselves out | | | | If you want to find your vocational passion, it has to |
| of bed every day to endure the grind required to | | | | begin with a question: What is most important to you? |
| support the lifestyles of their families. You may do this | | | | This may be the most important question you will ever |
| well, even exceptionally. But the work itself is rarely | | | | ask yourself. You need to look deep inside yourself to |
| what propels people. Instead, it’s a sense of | | | | turn your vague longings into tangible goals, with real |
| obligation or a feeling of being trapped. | | | | paths toward achieving them. |
| But there is another way. You can develop a plan to | | | | Once you answer the question and see the path that |
| escape the grind, then find work that means something | | | | the answers light for you, then it’s time to |
| and build a comfortable lifestyle around it. Too many | | | | summon the courage to make the transition. |
| people allow their lifestyles (or the lifestyles they are | | | | Matt Vande Voorde walked away from an executive |
| conditioned to expect) to dictate the kind of work they | | | | position at a large bank to follow what he prized most |
| do. And that is where so many people get into trouble, | | | | in his life: magazine publishing. His dream was to one |
| both spiritually and financially. | | | | day publish a magazine targeted at helping people with |
| I discovered all of this the hard way. Now, my mission | | | | disabilities use the Internet. Today, Matt is the proud |
| is to take what I’ve learned and help others as | | | | publisher of Accessible Content Magazine. |
| they transition into their life’s vocational passion. | | | | Jim Goebelbecker was tired of long hours selling |
| This requires courage, risk, and a willingness to make | | | | products that he didn’t care about. He prized his |
| significant personal changes. But with determination | | | | family and nonprofit work. He also took a risk and |
| and planning, anyone can do it. You will later ask | | | | never looked back. Today, Jim is an executive with a |
| yourself why you waited so long. | | | | large nonprofit on the east coast. He works just 10 |
| Waking up to the rest of your life | | | | minutes away from his home. |
| I had a good job, a million-dollar house, and a great | | | | Five steps to discover and follow your passion |
| family. I also had staggering personal debt from leading | | | | Making this level of change in your life isn’t an |
| a materialistic lifestyle. To top it off, I found no | | | | overnight process. Once you understand that a |
| satisfaction in my work. | | | | change is essential to making the rest of your life |
| My way out came suddenly. Three years ago, I had | | | | matter, you can follow this simple process to move |
| an epiphany as I stood before my coworkers, giving | | | | your dreams and desires into concrete actions. |
| yet another Power Point presentation. I suddenly shut | | | | Evaluate what you want. Ask the big questions and |
| down. I realized that I couldn’t do it anymore. | | | | answer them honestly. Why lie to yourself? |
| I woke up the next morning and felt, more or less, | | | | Envision your future. You need to visualize what |
| back to my old self. Perhaps they were right, I thought. | | | | you’re dreaming about. Then, develop a |
| Maybe I just had a touch of the flu. So I drove to work. | | | | concrete understanding of what it will take to get |
| But I never left the parking lot. | | | | there. |
| I didn’t take the final plunge right away. I felt too | | | | Tune out negative feedback. Everyone will try to talk |
| tied to the life I was living. So I struggled through other | | | | you out of doing this. Listen to yourself. |
| jobs over the next few years. But the results and | | | | Assess your risks. Take an inventory of your assets, |
| feelings were the same. | | | | obligations, and health. Then, make the necessary |
| Finally, I had enough. This was despite the responsibility | | | | adjustments that will minimize the impact and risk of |
| of being the sole provider for my wife and three | | | | making a major life change. |
| children, having a mortgage, caring for a seriously ill | | | | Take small steps. You don’t have to quit |
| child, dealing with growing medical bills, and shouldering | | | | tomorrow. You can start in small ways by doing |
| $200,000 in credit card debt. | | | | research on your dream vocation, maybe taking a |
| In 2002, in the middle of a tough economy, I walked | | | | class. Or you can make small lifestyle changes to |
| away from a six-figure job as a vice president and | | | | reduce your personal burn rate. |
| managing director of a billion-dollar multinational firm. | | | | In the end, you must give yourself permission to follow |
| This time, there was no turning back. | | | | your heart. That’s what I did. So did Matt, Jim, |
| I had no intention of walking away from my | | | | and so many others. They now jump out of bed each |
| responsibilities. But I had to find a way to earn an | | | | morning looking forward to a day of vocational |
| income in a more meaningful way. | | | | passion. You can have this feeling too. First, you must |
| Today, I have a private consulting practice, a busy | | | | decide what’s really most important. |