Over 40? The 10 steps to FINALLY doing the work that’s JUST right for you

From Over 40? What's next with your work, your life?,
A regular column by Craig Nathanson, Mar 09, 2008         

P is for Perfect: Purpose
What is life about? How will you make a difference in the world? Your purpose drives your behavior and can provide you with daily energy and happiness. What is the purpose of your life? Think deeply about where you most want to make a contribution in the world.

Does making people laugh give you purpose? How about making food for others? Maybe it’s helping others become physically fit. Perhaps it’s helping supply a service that helps people stay organized. Your purpose is personal. No one will really care except the most important person in the world — YOU. Having a purpose will change your life and give you the direction you are looking for.

P is for Perfect: Prize
What is most important to you? What behaviors would you have to follow each day to be true to yourself? What would you have to do each day to NOT follow what is most important to you? The choice is yours.

Look at your daily activities. Are you spending your time on what is most important to you? Does your work align with what is most important to you? Is your work a natural alignment of your abilities and your interests?

Living life through others and their values will leave you feeling out of control and stagnant. Living life through what YOU prize most will give your life meaning, and give you a feeling of fulfillment.

P is for Perfect: Perspective
Others have views about you. What’s more important is the perspective you have of yourself. You can change perceptions that aren’t useful to you any longer. What is your perspective of the world? How do you feel about you? Where do these feelings come from? Could you replace these feelings with new ideas that are most useful right now?

What we focus on is what we get. If you continually think about what is not working, you will only attract more of this into your life. Instead, focus on what you want with regards to your work. Find others who are doing exactly what you want to do. Talk to them; study them. If they can do it, so can you.

P is for Perfect: Possibilities
What is possible for you in your vocational life? So many of us focus, instead, on what’s impossible. What would you have to do to start believing more things are possible for you?

Possibilities start with you. If you really think something you want is not possible, then you will not move towards it. On the other hand, start to believe what you want IS possible, and you will find new energy to move towards what you want. Give yourself proof that what you want is possible and real. The mind can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined, when thinking about the future. Make sure what you focus on is what is right for you.

P is for Perfect: Place
What is your role in the world? In your heart, what is the vision you have for yourself? What are your abilities and your interests? Do they match? Is your current job something you could really do for the rest of your life? If not, you must change. The only people who retire, are people who don’t love what they do. Most people dream of retirement, and then when they get there, they are bored and depressed, and they die not too many years after.

The solution?

Find work now that you can enjoy doing until you stop breathing. Many financial experts now will help you make a financial plan that covers 100 years. That’s a lot of years, and if you are between 40 and 50, that’s nearly half your life to go! Time for a change if your work no longer serves you.

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P is for Perfect: Position
What is your attitude on a daily basis? What would you like to change, and why? What small steps could you take now to “try on” a new daily position?

Does your work bring a smile to your face each day? Do you want to pinch yourself because you can’t believe you actually make a living doing what you love? If this is NOT true for you, it’s time for change!

Yes, you can decide to have a good attitude at a lousy job for a while. But you are only fooling yourself, and it will not last long.

P is for Perfect: Passion
What are you really passionate about? Can you identify the vocational patterns in your passions? Don’t let negativity defeat your creativity. What do you most often think about — what gets you excited with regards to your work? What type of work makes you happy, alive, and full of energy?

P is for Perfect: Perfect Vocational Day Do you have a vision of your perfect day — can you imagine living your dream while making the income you require at the same time? If you can’t imagine it, you can’t move towards it. Write down exactly what would be just perfect for you with regards to an average work day doing something that could last a lifetime. Why not? Most jobs were not developed for you.

Most job searching is backwards. Instead of trying to fit yourself into a job, start with exactly what the pattern of your perfect day would be; a daily plan that works best for you. This will lead you to the right work. You won’t need Human Resources for this!

P is for Perfect: Present
What are you doing in the present to move towards your perfect vocational day? Do you know the gap between your dreams, and where you are now? Do you know the real reason why reaching your perfect vocational day is so important to you? Do you have the right relationships now to support your journey? Do you have the right people in your life to support you and fuel your journey? Write a future biography that describes what you want your life to be like in 2-3 years. You are not done until this vision fits you perfectly.

P is for Perfect: Putting it all together (Giving yourself permission) Have you defined and written down exactly what you want? Have you talked about it with others? If you follow your heart, you will become a magnet for your dreams.

Look for those defining moments in your life — the times when you find yourself saying “enough is enough!” Maybe it will be something big like a divorce, illness, layoff, or a financial crisis. Maybe it will simply be a realization that these faceless bosses, meetings, and paperwork are getting in the way of an authentic life. Most jobs would not be done if people were not paid to do them. Only you can find and do the work that matters most to YOU.

I think this might be JUST the right time for you to get started!

I’ll be cheering you on as you go- Craig Nathanson

Craig Nathanson is the author of P Is For Perfect: Your Perfect Vocational Day and a coaching expert who works with people over forty. Craig’s new E-book, Discover and live your passion 365 days a year is a workshop in a box designed to help busy adults go insane with their work. Craig’s systematic approach, the trademark "Ten P" process,’’ helps people break free and move toward the work they love. Visit Craig’s online community at http://www.thevocationalcoach.com where you can take a class, get more ideas through Craig Nathanson’s books and CD’s, get some private coaching over the phone or read other stories of mid-life change and renewal.

Craig lives in Fairfax, California. His office is located at 6 School Street, suite 220, Fairfax, Ca 94930. You can reach him at 415-457-0550 or at craig@thevocationalcoach.com.