| Have you ever thought about what your
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| | focus too much on what you don't want in
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| perfect work would be? How about the
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| | your work life, and then this is exactly
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| pattern of a typical work day for the
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| | what you'll end up with.
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| rest of your life? What daily routine
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| | Now at work
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| would get you excited and bring joy and
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| | Once at work, what exactly will you do?
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| happiness to your work?
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| | What activities will align your abilities
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| This didn't come with the job description
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| | and your interests and bring you the most
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| The problem with job descriptions is that
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| | joy?
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| they are defined by someone else. They
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| | Joy?
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| rarely take into consideration what
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| | Yes joy! Now that's a question no one in
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| brings you fulfillment.
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| | the HR department will ever ask you
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| How do I get started?
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| | about! This is where you must be
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| Whether you work for yourself or someone
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| | specific. Your mind can't tell the
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| else, it is critical to start with the
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| | difference between what is real and what
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| idea of what would be just perfect for
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| | is imagined when envisioning a work day
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| you. For example, when would you get up
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| | that will bring you joy. You must create
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| in the morning? Once up, what would your
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| | the reality you seek.
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| morning routine be? Would you start your
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| | What are you working on?
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| day exercising, with a little run, or
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| | Are you developing software, making
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| perhaps some yoga or meditation? Or would
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| | sandwiches, teaching math, painting,
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| you make breakfast first instead? Would
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| | speaking, doing financial analysis,
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| you eat alone or with others? Who would
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| | taking pictures or promoting a new
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| they be?
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| | cosmetic product?
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| What would you wear to your work?
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| | What would give you the most joy in your
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| Sweats, suit, shorts?
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| | work? What would leave you breathless?
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| What would be just perfect for you?
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| | What would make Monday your best day of
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| I'm sure by now you're thinking, "What
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| | the week and Friday the worst because you
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| does all of this have to do with my job?
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| | have to wait until Monday to resume your
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| After all, I go to my job and I'm stuck
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| | beloved work?
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| with the rest of the day based on how
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| | What work could you do now and continue
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| much time is left."
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| | to do until you stop breathing?
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| Yes, that is the traditional way of
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| | Why retiring will lead you to a quick
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| looking at your work.
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| | death
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| For those over you 40, I'm proposing a
| |
| | The other day I received the enrollment
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| radical new way of looking at your work.
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| | package for AARP (American Association
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| You get to design your entire day around
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| | for Retired People) in the mail. This
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| the work YOU want to do instead of just
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| | really scared me. Most Americans after 40
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| the limited time left over after an empty
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| | do not like their work, let alone love
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| and meaningless day at the office.
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| | their work. They dream, instead, to one
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| Where would you go?
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| | day retire, and then finally do what they
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| Where would you go for your work? What
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| | enjoy. The problem with this strategy is
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| would be perfect for you?
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| | that life tends to get in the way while
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| Would you like to work from home, or
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| | making long range plans. After 40, crises
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| would you prefer to work outdoors? Would
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| | will hit - it's only a matter of when. If
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| you prefer to work alone or with others?
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| | you are doing what you love, you have the
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| Maybe you would rather drive a short
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| | best kind of health insurance. When your
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| distance to a small office and work with
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| | crisis hits, your work will give you the
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| a small group of other people. Or perhaps
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| | strength to ride out the storm, and then
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| you would enjoy working with hundreds of
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| | recover quickly.
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| others around you in a large
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| | You need to be specific
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| organization.
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| | What are you working on that will last a
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| How about lunch?
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| | lifetime?
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| When will you eat lunch? Where will you
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| | Whether you are working for yourself or
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| eat lunch? Who will you eat lunch with on
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| | someone else, the questions are the same.
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| a typical day?
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| | What specific products or services are
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| Back in my corporate days, I remember
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| | you offering in your perfect day of work?
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| sneaking out at lunch (I was in
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| | What are the features of each of these
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| management) to go for a run. I also
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| | services? What are the benefits to others
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| remember too many lunch hours spent in
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| | of what you are offering? Who are the
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| drab conference rooms, working with
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| | ideal customers for your services? Day in
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| others while eating unhealthy food. I can
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| | and day out for the rest of your life,
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| remember thinking how terrible this was
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| | what type of person do you want to work
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| for my system.
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| | with? Are they engineers, students,
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| How long will your work day be?
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| | disabled children, artists or advertising
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| How long will you work each day? What
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| | reps?
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| will you do after work? Who will you
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| | Unless you are clear about it, you and
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| spend your time with after work?
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| | your work will end up being mismatched.
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| This is all part of the design of your
| |
| | Now what?
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| perfect vocational day. How will your
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| | Ok, now you have the vision of your
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| evenings go? Who will you spend your
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| | perfect vocational day. Is this a daily
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| evenings with? It's so important to have
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| | pattern you could follow for the rest of
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| support and love and downtime after your
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| | your life? Good! Now you can start to
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| work ends each day. Coming home, instead,
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| | examine how to close the gap between your
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| to someone who does not support the work
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| | new vision and today.
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| you love will drain you and you'll have
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| | For some of you, this will come easy. For
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| less energy for your quest for vocational
| |
| | others, years of external negative
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| happiness and for the experience of life
| |
| | influences, and perhaps a little fear,
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| itself.
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| | might prevent quick action, and your next
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| How will your evenings go?
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| | steps might have to be small.
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| When will you eat dinner? Who will you be
| |
| | The important part is that you start
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| with at dinner on a typical day? What
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| | Little steps turn into bigger steps. New
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| will you do after dinner? What does your
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| | possibilities turn into bigger
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| evening look like?
| |
| | possibilities. You are unique and
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| Will you spend the evening alone, with
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| | special, and you have many gifts to offer
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| others, or a combination of the two? Your
| |
| | the world. With a new vision of what
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| evenings are an important part of your
| |
| | would be just perfect for you, you can
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| perfect vocational day. This again, is
| |
| | begin to create the second half of your
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| something most employers don't care at
| |
| | life and work in a way that includes what
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| all about, unless you are spending your
| |
| | is most important to you. As you plan
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| evenings at the office, of course! This
| |
| | your perfect vocational day, you will
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| is the difference between creating the
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| | have begun moving down the path to an
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| perfect work for you, and just dragging
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| | authentic life.
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| yourself home after a long day at the
| |
| | Can't I just separate my life from my
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| office and collapsing on the couch.
| |
| | work?
|
| When you do just a job, the quality of
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| | This is just an excuse for not moving
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| your downtime suffers as you worry about
| |
| | forward, and down deep, you know this is
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| the next day of work.
| |
| | not possible. I wish it were, but it's
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| What about sleep?
| |
| | not. Your work and what you do impacts
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| At the end of your perfect vocational
| |
| | your health, your sense of self, your
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| day, when will you go to sleep? How will
| |
| | relationships with others and your
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| you go to sleep? What nightly ritual will
| |
| | overall happiness. Isn't it worth taking
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| you follow before bed? A little yoga, a
| |
| | just a little extra time to think about
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| warm bath, light reading, television, or
| |
| | your perfect work life?
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| intimacy with someone you love?
| |
| | Before turning 40, we needed jobs and
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| What's perfect for me?
| |
| | careers to build both our egos and our
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| You must keep asking yourself this
| |
| | sense of self. After 40, jobs and careers
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| question, because no one else will do it
| |
| | are both limiting and outdated.
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| for you. Be careful as you design your
| |
| | A new sense of urgency
|
| perfect vocational day, because you will
| |
| | After 40 when your crisis hits - and it
|
| indeed start to move towards it. Make
| |
| | will - you will have a new sense of
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| sure you really know just what you want.
| |
| | urgency about your life and what to do
|
| Typical job searching is all backwards
| |
| | with it. Your work, and what you do each
|
| Most people look for jobs that are
| |
| | and every day, is a great place to start.
|
| available with little thought to all the
| |
| | I'll be cheering you on as you
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| other hours of their days. The typical
| |
| | go.........
|
| job description only covers the
| |
| | Craig Nathanson is the author of P Is For
|
| requirements of the job. I have never
| |
| | Perfect: Your Perfect Vocational Day, and
|
| seen one that covers whether you should
| |
| | a coaching expert who works with people
|
| exercise or eat a big breakfast.
| |
| | over forty. Craig's new E-book, Discover
|
| The point is: it's critical to design
| |
| | and live your passion 365 days a year is
|
| what you want BEFORE you go looking for
| |
| | a workshop in a box designed to help busy
|
| it.
| |
| | adults go insane with their work. Craig's
|
| Now you get to play by new rules
| |
| | systematic approach, the trademark "Ten P
|
| After many years of playing the work game
| |
| | process,'' helps people break free and
|
| the traditional way, now you get to
| |
| | move toward the work they love. Visit
|
| change the rules. When you design the
| |
| | Craig's online community at http:\\ where
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| work day you want, you automatically
| |
| | you can take a class, get more ideas
|
| start to alter your thinking, and you
| |
| | through Craig books and CD's, get some
|
| start to focus on what you want and what
| |
| | private coaching over the phone or read
|
| you do not want. Unless you place your
| |
| | stories of mid-life change and renewal.
|
| focus on what you want, you'll start to
| |
| | Craig lives in San Anselmo, California.
|
