What do you love to do?

Penny Says: for those you trying to find what it is that you love to do here is a little infrastructure for you to build on.

http://briankim.net/blog/2006/07/how-to-find-what-you-love-to-do/

In this article Steve Jobs recommends that we ask the Question:

What would I love to do on a daily basis utilizing both my skills and interests that will add significant value to people? And he gives us a simple plan to accomplish this often daunting task.

Quotes from the article -

Steve Jobs :

“Be honest. Have you actually sat down by yourself with no distractions, with your sole focus on asking yourself what you love to do without picking up your cell phone, surfing the net, watching TV, chatting on AIM, listening to your favorite song, playing solitaire or minesweeper, checking your email, returning a call, getting a drink of water, going to the bathroom, looking at the clock, reading a magazine article, I could go on and on but you get the point. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you haven’t for the sole purpose of you reading this article. Why is that?

Fear of what the answer will be if you ask yourself what you love to do.

The answer is:”I don’t know.”

“Step 2: Make a list of your skills and interests in two columns and WRITE THEM DOWN”

I was tempted to not follow these instructions. But I did for a simple reason. It’s the same reason busy people use appointment books or day planners or personal assistants – to make room in your head for actual thinking and marinating of ideas and concepts that allow for mental creativity.

I suggest that you make a list and then have 3 of your closest people make a list for you as well (friends, family, spouse, who ever they are they must know you and have seen you in action, happy, sad, good bad, unemployed, working, and so on.).

I know that I am more critical of myself than anyone else is of me; I suspect I am not alone in this. Other people’s perspective will help you to see your strengths, skills and maybe even point out an interest that you may have not noticed because for you it may be an obligation - but if it makes you happy and you like to do it – it is an interest and belongs on the list.

Steve Jobs uses the example of listing blowing bubbles in your spit as a skill to remind us that we are not limited to marketable skills – this was the hardest part for me. Skills that are relevant to the work place or to helping other people is what I wrote down first but others flowed out as I allowed myself to be more relaxed with the exercise.

Do I know what I love and how I can make money doing it?

No. But to be fair I just found this article this morning I want to make some cross comparisons with my people’s lists of my skills and interests, mull it over and integrate the trends on the lists with real-life.

Reality maybe the downfall to this process for some people, knowing what is and is not marketable, or even the kinds of jobs that are out there might be a stretch for academics or young people. In those cases I would suggests taking your list to an outside source like a career counselor or even your parents, your friends, and your friends parents.

What most of my adult life has taught me (usually through hard lessons) is to use your network. Your people are yours’, they want to help, and they are all different offering a rich tapestry of experiences that you can draw upon when faced with life’s little and big questions.