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