Twenty Secrets to finally find the work that's just perfect for you!

From Over 40? What's next with your work, your life?,
A regular column by Craig Nathanson, Oct 24, 2006         

OK, these may not be secrets anymore, but they will be hard work and they will be worth the trouble. Follow the steps in order and spend quality, quiet thinking time with each one. Take as much time as you need with each step. A life's work that is meaningful and fulfilling can be yours. Take a deep breath and get started. I'll be cheering you on each step of the way!

Step 1: Find a purpose for your life. (Otherwise you will end up with someone else's dream life.) Step 2: Figure out what bothers you most about the world and do something about it. (This is the best path towards authentic work and it can start in your own neighborhood.) Step 3: Determine what is most important to you. (Most of us live our lives around what others tell us is most important.) Step 4: Align your new goals around what is most important. (These will become the roadmap for your life's direction.) Step 5: Have a healthy perspective of yourself. (When you feel good about yourself, everything else just seems to fall into place.) Step 6: Replace old beliefs that are no longer useful to you. (If you believe you are not smart enough, for example, start believing you are just as smart as anybody else! Now, that was easy, wasn't it?) Step 7: Create new possibilities for your life. (Others will help you create new impossibilities; there is a big difference!) Step 8: Figure out who you want to be when you grow up. (It's never too late to start redefining your life and your sense of self.) Step 9: Practice living the life you want now. (You won't believe it's possible until you actually do something.) Step 10: Figure out what you are passionate about. (What activities get you most excited about life? This is a great place to start.) Step 11: Align your abilities and your interests. (This is the quickest path to vocational passion.) Step 12: What would a perfect vocational day be for you? (For example, my perfect vocational day includes writing this article for you!) Step 13: Write your autobiography five years from today. (When you write down the life you want to live and read it, magical things happen to close the gap.) Step 14: Downscale your lifestyle now to create the opportunities that you seek. (Sorry, this is a mandatory step in order to have a lighter backpack for the rest of your life.) Step 15: Strengthen your relationships and support systems. (Again, this is a brave but necessary step: you must shed the people in your life who do not share your dreams and nurture relationships with new people who are excited about your journey.) Step 16: Grow strong emotionally. (You must learn to ignore the opinions of others-even those who love you-if they don't mesh with your dream.) Step 17: Give yourself permission to follow your heart. (Tell yourself it's OK to be selfish. It's your life!) Step 18: Laugh a lot and enjoy the ride. (The process of discovery and trial and error is part of the path.) Step 19: Live with integrity as a path towards an authentic life. (Define what integrity means to you and then follow your own rules.) Step 20: Eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep. (This will give you that extra bounce in your step.)

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Finding your life's work-the work that's just perfect for you-must start and finish with you. Use these 20 secrets; they will get you there.

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 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 San Anselmo, California. You can reach him at 415-457-0550 or at craig@thevocationalcoach.com.