Where?

Doing a ‘job’ I hated, working a contract I loathed: justified by “the money”.

When I turned 60, after spending 4 months in severe pain from my Fibromyalgia, I promised myself, “I’m not going to do work I don’t want to do. And, I’m not going to work with people I don’t want to work with!”

At the time I was working a lucrative contract as a Change Implementation Consultant. The money was great. The work was easy. But …

I wasn’t happy.

The work had become repetitive, repetitive, repetitive. And, what was worse is we were discovering that our boss’s new boss was a slimy, manipulative SOB. Long on promises; short on delivery; amazingly adept at ’slipping a knife in your back’.

Then 1 day, as I left a clinic, that little voice inside said, “Ya gotta quit this Lyle. It’s destroying your soul.”

This time I listened … 8 months previously when the same little voice told me to quit, I kept going. 1 and 1/2  months after that my Fibro kicked in: with a vengance!

So, I planned my “Exit Strategy”: subtly turning down contract assignments so I could ensure I had all my contract work complete, INVOICED, and PAID by March 31st (end of the government’s fiscal year). And, my clear intention was to simply not renew my contract when it came up for renewal April 1st.The idea was to leave quietly.

Didn’t work out that way; and the story of the ending is a fun one to be told some other time, so I can get back to the point of this post.

Lately in my coaching I’ve had several clients who are quite literally suffering illnesses, clearly connected to doing ’soul-sucking’ work and who are staying cause “the money’s easy.”

What’s been coming to my mind as I’ve thought about thier dilemmas is a visual from a Miami Vice episode: we see a man sling a bag of drugs into his Porshe; then we seem him driving the rain slicked streets of Miami to a ‘meet’, and in the background we hear the plaintive words of Glen Frey’s “Smuggler’s Blues”, “… the lure of easy money”, as the guy gets a bullet (or six) in the head.

Ya see the problem with ‘easy money’ is … well, that’s it’s alledgedly easy. There is no apparent cost. I say apparent because there IS a cost — hoo boy is there a cost!

The problem is that the cost of doing easy-money work often arrives later: in the form of physical, mental, &/or emotional problems.

Again, I know. I sometimes feel like I’m the “Poster Boy” for stupid moves.

It’s taken being gifted with not 1 but TWO chronic illnesses for me to wake up and smell the mocha cappachino. And, to really grok this 1 simple fact:

Doing work that isn’t your ‘God-given Work’ is going to kill you … sooner or later!

It’s short term gain for long term pain. It’s ‘pay me now, or pay me later.’

It’s your choice: take the easy money and wither your soul, sicken your spirit, and die. Or, take the ‘narrow road’, nurture your soul, foster your courage, sieze the day, and follow your Bliss!

FIND Full-Time or Part-Time WORK THAT DOESN’T SUCK – Step 2

First a brief review of Step 1.

Step 1 of my 3-step process essentially requires you to obtain crystal clarity about WHAT you want TO DO for a living. That is, how you want to contribute, what you want to give to the world, and what legacy you want to leave behind.

Now the idea of a legacy might seem a little “heavy” when it comes to thinking about a part-time job. But having a detailed description of your DREAM does ensure that any interim job or contract position you obtain will support your dream; not prevent it.

The detail you look for includes a clear picture of WHAT, WHO, WHERE, WHEN, WHICH, and HOW. (I’ll cover these details in my upcoming FR^EE teleclass)

Step 2: Use Your Theme(s) to Find THE Work of Your Dreams

Clarity takes time … and effort. The good news is that having any degree of clarity about your Destiny Dream^TM is valuable. Especially IF you act on that clarity and move toward your Dream – as it reveals itself to you.

So, how do you take all those apparently jumbled pieces of data about Who, What, and so on and create a Theme or Themes for your Dream?

Let’s use my Destiny Dream^TM as an example.

I’ve been crafting and using a Destiny Plan^TM to guide my life, career, and work since the early 90s. My Destiny Plan^TM has evolved to have 9 key Action Goal^TM Areas – My Health & Wellness, My Relationships, My Work, My Learning & Development, My Passions, My Sexuality, My Muse, My Spirituality, and My Societal Contribution. Naturally, your 9 Action Goal^TM Areas would likely be different from mine.

What I’ve noticed for the last several years is that, as I’ve done my Action Goal^TM Planning every January, I’ve felt this strong sense that I was missing something.

So, I began asking myself, “What do I need?” (By the way this is a critical question for an Enneagram Two – which I am – to ask themselves). Beyond the needs in my Top Three^TM Action Goal^TM Areas I kept hearing, Travel!

I’ve had a burning Passion for Travel since I was a wee lad. But, like many others, I choose to have a family early on and invested time and energy in my kids instead in trips to Europe.

Sure, whenever we could afford it we travelled: 1^st with the ex and the kids, most often camping trips throughout Alberta and British Columbia, an anniversary trip (alone with the ex) to Hawaii; work trips to New Jersey, Toronto, New Orleans, and San Jose; and following the divorce, many trips to LA/The OC, Monterey, and Palm Springs, while completing my Masters degree; and later with my current wife, trips to Nova Scotia (her home), New Brunswick, Alaska, Newfoundland, and countless camping adventures.

Yet, still it never felt like enough to slake my Travel Lust.

Then a few weeks ago during an early morning walk I saw a sign (literally), as if from God, “Wanted Part-time Cruise Consultants!” WOW!

I jumped at the chance to apply. And, the position seemed ideal: I’d be on contract not – god forbid – an employee; income was commission only – so I could make as much, or a little as I wanted; and I liked the ‘feel’ of the place.

NEXT ISSUE: Step 3: Landing the “JOB”

I love to hear from you. So, let me know what you think. Send me an e-mail or add your comment here at the blog!

In my last newsletter I cautioned against taking just any job. But, is it possible to find work, even a part-time job or contract/freelance work, that doesn’t suck? YES … and today’s article will show you how I did it! And, how you can too!

HOW TO FIND Full-Time or Part-Time WORK THAT DOESN’T SUCK!

When I started up this, my current, company back in December 1997, it was my intention to make a living as a Freelance Writer. I’ve told you the painful story before about why that didn’t happen. It doesn’t bear repeating. BUT, I do want to share some important lessons, I’ve learned along the way, about finding work that doesn’t suck.

First, what do I mean by work that sucks?

I mean full-time or part-time jobs, contract positions, or freelance assignments that a) suck every ounce of physical, intellectual, &/or creative energy out of you; b) get you involved with parasitic, psychotic, or pain-in-the-ass clients; &/or c) pay sh*t wages.

Step 1: Know what you’d Love (or at least like) To Do

If you don’t know what you would love to do for work, then there is no better time than NOW to find out! How?

Do some Career Testing. <= ASK me I can help YOU with this!

Read and work through the exercises in What Color Is Your Parachute? The 2009 edition of this classic by Richard Nelson Bolles is aptly subtitled “JOB-HUNTING IN HARD TIMES”. I’ve used this book to guide my own career since 1984.

Let me give you a recent example from my own life of how to figure out what kind of work would make you happy.

Even though I’ve been working and reworking and re-reworking my career plans since 1984, there are some clear themes in my career dreams. And, that’s what you want to look for in your career planning: the common themes.

But, where do you get the data and information to tease out those themes? You get it by examining 5 key elements: Your Interests, Your Skills, Your Experiences, Your Personality, and Your Values.

When I work with clients who want to re-examine their careers and figure out what they want to be when they grow up, the first thing I do is to get them to complete several Career “Tests”. These assessments include: Career Directions Inventory (Interests), MBTI® (Personality), and the Career Values Scale (Values). Then, I use paper and pencil exercises to help you identify your Skills and Experiences.

I KNOW all the gory details of all 5 key Career factors. I’ve used them to help me find contracts and clients. And, even though I’ve had superb clients and extremely interesting work: something was missing. This year, when I did my annual Life & Career Goal Setting I became very aware of my NEED (more like burning desire, lust) to TRAVEL. So, when thinking about finding part-time work to supplement my coaching income, I decided to focus on my Travel theme. I began to think about how I might find work in the Travel industry. AND, I GOT IT!

YES, last week I signed on board Expedia® CruiseShipCenters as a contract Cruise & Vacation Consultant. And, you can benefit.

Next issue I will tell you HOW I found and secured this great ‘job’. And, how on earth being a Travel Consultant fits with the rest of my career aspirations.

NEXT ISSUE: Step 2: Use Your Theme(s) to Find the Work You Love

I love to hear from you. So, let me know what you think. Send me an e-mail or add your comment here at the blog!

However, financial shit is happening … folks is losing jobs … maybe YOU .. so what are you to do?

Well actually this is the BEST TIME to rethink your career. Nothing like a little anxiety / stress to get you going; and get you focused. I know where of I speak: I would not have ever worked for myself if my former employer hadn’t given me the boot!

During tough times like these, it’s best to go back to basics.

So, if you know your Type Preferences, ala the Myers Briggs Type Indicator(R), here’s a great article from Psychometrics on making Career Decisions.

If you don’t know your Type Preference, I’d be happy to help you determine it. Just scoot on over to my Contact page and send me an message.

The 1st 5 people who contact me and BOOK a Career Assessment will get $ 50.00 OFF the regular price! In the comment box, write Want MBTI Assessment.

Well, several readers contacted me to tell me stories about how leaping into a new job that looked really great wound up putting them  in deep doo doo.

So, if taking a just-any-job is a mistake … what IS one to do?

Get picky.

Start looking for work that fits with your Mission from God.

How to do that?

It’s simple …  but not necessarily easy.

According to Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the best-selling What Color Is Your Parachute, you need to answer 3 key questions:

1. What talents (Gifts) has God called me to exercise?
2. Where do I yearn to exercise those talents?
3. For what Purpose does God most need to have this done?

Now, some people would argue that the idea of having an inborn Talent or Gift is a myth (you know who you are,  SD!). I don’t agree. I believe. I know. I grok the fact that we are in fact given Gifts from God.

In his first letter to the Christian congregation at Corinth, the Apostle Paul said:

“But, I wish all men were as I myself am. Nevertheless, each one has his own gift from god, one in this way, another in that way.”

These Spirit Given Gifts were originally meant to be exercised within the Christian congregations. Now, though 2 centuries later, I believe they are meant to be exercised, used, applied, throughout the World of Man.

And, you may be asking, “But, how do I identify my talents ,my Gifts?”

Good question.

Good news!

There are ways.

And, over the next few days I’ll share those ways with you.

I was struck by Job’s comment that one could only connect the dots of one’s life when looking backwards. I agree.

Those of us who guide our lives at least partially by intuition, by our ‘guts’, are never really sure where we are going. Our paths look senseless to others. Yet, responding to the call of our Callings we wind up in the right places for us. And, the dots connect.

There’s a clear, simple
way to think about Your Ideal Creative Career. Here are the Top 3 components of
your Ideal Creative Career:

Your Ideal Career = The Right Work + With The Right
People + With The Right Working Conditions

There are other
factors. And, when I do career coaching with you, you and I will examine them
in depth. Curious about these other factors? Watch this blog, I’ll be writing
about them. For now, I want to take a brief look at the Top 3.

#1 The Right Work

Nothing brings more
satisfaction and happiness than doing
the work you love. That’s why I’ve listed “The Right Work” as the number
one factor in your Ideal Creative Career. How can I help you identify The Right
Work? I primarily use 2 industry standard career instruments: the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator® (MBTI®) and the Career Direction Inventory (CDI). Sometimes, I
will have clients complete the Career Values Scale. Additionally, I would have
you work through exercises to identify your Vision, Life Purpose, and Gift(s).

#2 The Right People

Doing the right work is
critical to your satisfaction and success. But, if you’re working with toxic
coworkers or clients work won’t work. So, when I work with clients we focus on
identifying the kind of people they want/need to be with.

Here’s an example. I
coached a colleague who is a communications and IT professional, writer, and
aspiring novelist. She needed to return to ‘real’ work and was looking for a
part-time job. I had her complete the CDI to identify her top 3 interest areas.
And, we did some careful work to specify the kind of people she wanted to work
with. These factors focused and shaped her work search and she found just the
job she wanted! She loves the work and the people in her work group – oh, and
hubby loves her having a steady pay cheque.

#3 The Right Working Conditions

You love your work. You
love your coworkers and clients. But, you hate the conditions at work. There
goes happiness out the door. I’ll give you an example. I have a brother-in-law
who loved being a mechanic in the Canadian Navy. But, he’s over 6 feet tall and
work sucked every time he was assigned to submarine duty. Small bunks, low
doors, and tight workspaces did a lot to make his tours of duty less than
satisfying.

Here’s some homework you can do, if you choose.
Spend some time thinking about the 3 factors I’ve outlined and what they are
for your Ideal Creative Career. Then share your Ideal Creative Career here at my
Blog.  

Exploring his site for the book I was lead to his "Life Coach 101" Tool. Gave it a try.

Revealing!

What I like is the fact that it gently forces you to create an ‘advisory board’ to help you with your goals. The idea is based on a principle in his book, Chapter 29 in fact. And, the system automatically creates a set of ‘contracts’ you can share with your advisors.

Now, to put the thing into action.

CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED!

The online Career/Life/Work
Newsletter

For Writers and other Creative
Professionals

From Lyle T. Lachmuth

Professional Coach
& Writer

www.TheUnstickingCoach.com   

Want
to subscribe to the ezine. Just fill in your information in the boxes over on the left and Voila!

HOT LINKS

On
March 1^st I joined some of my fellow bloggers to engage in a little
thought experiment conceived and launched by Mr. BlogWild!
Andy Wibbels. Follow along as I experiment with The Power of Intention and
manifesting my Callings at my post series, "The Secret Movie 30 Day
Challenge."

=========================================

THE POWER OF CALLING

          As part of trying to understand my Neutral Zone experience,
I reread William Bridges, "Transitions:
Making Sense of Life’s Changes," particularly focusing on the chapter about
The Neutral Zone. I was struck by his comment that once you’ve entered "the Zone"
you can’t go back to where you were, even
if you want to. Why? Because just being in the Neutral Zone – even briefly
- forever changes who you are.

Last
week my former, fearless leader called me up to ask why I was quitting my
contract. I explained why. And, then he dangled a ‘carrot’.

Well,
I was tempted -. for about 30 minutes. Then I made a career limiting phone call
back to him. I explained that I "didn’t’
trust his offer because I felt like he was just trying to sell me.’ He didn’t
seem to like that feedback. Well no biggie, because in the course of pondering
his carrot I really did realize I didn’t want to go back.

But,
where did I want to go?

Have
you ever ‘forgotten’ your Calling? Or, denied it? Or, ignored it? Or, pushed it
away?

I
sure have. But, during my sojourn in the Neutral Zone IT has been making itself
heard. And, I finally listened, resulting in the decision to have fun with my
pseudo-scientific exploration of The Power of Intention, "The Secret Movie 30 Day
Challenge."

Today,
I want to share some of the lessons I’ve learned about The Power of Calling.

What Is a Calling? 

I
am most familiar with the notion of Calling as described by my Christian Fundamentalist
doctrine. For me, growing up, The Calling was about being summoned by God to
serve "Him" as an evangelizer.

But,
as Gregg Levoy notes in his seminal work, "Callings:
Finding and Following an Authentic Life", many traditions have "calls".
Usually these precede prayer, initiations, spiritual healings, or major life
events and serve to summon adherents to, as Levoy notes, "a new level of awareness, into a sacred frame of mind, into communion
with that which is bigger than themselves… Primarily this force announces the
need for change; the response for it calls is an awakening of some kind." 

How Do Callings Show Up? 

I’ve
always experienced Callings as a wee voice speaking to me, combined with a ‘feeling’,
a ‘pressure’ like a hand on me, pulling me, prodding me, and guiding me.

So,
I was pleasantly surprised to discover other ways in which a Calling shows up.

One
is Passion. Levoy tells the story of Mark Dubois whose passion for the
Stanislaus River in
Northern California lead
him to found Friends of the River and then chain himself to a rock near the
river to prevent politicians from flooding the river past a level they had
promised wouldn’t be exceeded. Boy! That’s PASSION – and a hell of a Calling!

Through
the stories of others, Levoy shows how Callings can show up in Dreams. WHOA! I
said when I read that. I hadn’t thought of my dreams as a source of Calling,
yet have had very intense, TELLING dreams.

Finally,
Levoy explores how the Body can be a source of Callings. DOUBLE WHOA! I’ve known
for sometime that my body lets me know clearly and painfully when I am off
track. But, I had never really thought about its direct connection to Calling.
I’ve found Louise Hay’s little masterpiece, "Heal
Your Body" is a great place to look for the meaning of bodily symptoms. For
example, problems with our teeth are indicative of struggles with decision. And,
colds are signs of confusion. Sounds weird, but I know it’s been true for me!

How Can You Invoke Your Calling? 

A
word of caution first: DO NOT make any attempts to invoke your Calling unless
you are READY to go where it takes you!

I’m
learning that one big time!

I
put out an Intention to get clarity on what I’ve described as my Second
Calling. I’ve known for years that I’m Called to be a Teacher (read: Coach,
Trainer, Educator,

Mentor).
But, for the last 3 and a bit years I’ve had this ‘feeling’ that there’s something
more, or something else – my Second Calling.

Since
March 1^st I’ve been working my Intention through reading, prayer,
Inner Dialogue, and invoking Dreams. And, stuff has started to show up. But,
not the stuff I expected or at least not quite what I’ve expected.

You
see for awhile I’ve had this inkling that my Calling might be a call to be a
Healer. And, to work with victims of childhood abuse. But, so far, what’s shown
up is not quite that. For example, I have a client, a Clinical Social Worker,
who just yesterday invited me to co present with her at a provincial conference
of Social Workers. The topic: Promoting Your Social Work Practice. On the
surface that has nothing to do with helping wounded people.

But,
as my client pointed out, many professionals who are Called to be counsellors and
therapists have been wounded as children. Those wounds, and the work they’ve
done to overcome them, make them superb healers – and crappy self-promoters.
The act of trying to write copy, articles, and to do anything to EXPRESS
themselves OUT in the world evokes FEAR. They get STUCK big time.

And,
that’s where The Unsticking Coach comes into the picture. Why? Because I have
been there, done that, got the T-shirt, coffee mug, and scratches to show for
it. My Purpose is Life is to help people "professionals
rediscover and courageously express their unique gifts". That’s my Calling!
My Passion! Using My Gift of Words to teach others how to get unstuck.

So,
when you’re ready, pursue your passion(s), get out the crayons, invoke your
dreams, play inspirational music, and get ready to experience The Power of
Calling.

Let’s
sum up: I believe "God", "The Universe", "Your Higher Power", has Called each
of us. You CAN definitely ignore your Calling – but believe me it WILL HURT to
do so. Or, you can Invoke your Calling and experience The Power of Calling. The
choice is yours. 

Until
next time,

Lyle Lachmuth MS
(Organization Development)

The Unsticking Coach^(TM)

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER

PRIVACY POLICY:  I will not rent, trade, or
sell your name and contact information to anyone, at any time, for any reason!

CAVEAT:
CREATIVE CAREERS UNLEASHED and its publisher, are not engaged in providing
therapy. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only.

CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety only, including
copyright, legal, and contact information and only with live links intact.

Copyright 2007 Lyle T. Lachmuth, All Rights
Reserved