Good Morning Faithful Readers!
Until Aug 15, I am planning to share with you my summaries of ten chapters from Tom Rath’s book, Are You Fully Charged? (AYFC). I began this series on July 30 with the book’s Prologue. Never before have I committed nearly a dozen posts to one author in succession so I am also asking you to join me praying for your receptivity to these remaining posts until Aug 15, and for the future posts being planned beyond to avoid wasting everyone’s valuable spiritual time and energy. If ever nudged to send me a suggestion, be it a complaint or praise, send to merlin.erb@gmail.com or text, call, WhatsApp 330 465-2565. Thank you.
For those of you desiring more “meaningfulness” from Tom, email me & I’ll send you a Word doc. of the ten chapters I’ve summarized thus far, or better yet, go to thriftbooks (earlier they had 8 copies @$6.19 ea.) so order your own copy(s). Who else do you know who could benefit from Tom’s journey to find meaningfulness in their work, & especially, retirement? And I also trust, you’ll encourage others to subscribe to the blog and thereby increase our efficiency.
Chapter Six: Don’t Fall Into the Default
Even when people think they are chasing their lifelong ambitions, in many cases, they are following the dreams of someone they admire. Consider how many people you know who have followed in the footsteps of a sibling, parent, or mentor at some point in their career. If you think about the way many people are raised – surrounded by role models and examples – the carryover of one generation’s aspirations to the next makes perfect sense. Understandably, children learn a great deal from the people they spend time with growing up, and often interests and passions converge. However, this puts an additional responsibility on you – to ensure that you are following your own dreams.
Cast a Shadow Instead of Living in One
As a parent, I need to avoid the temptation and ease of treating my children the same. I have to avoid pressuring them into boxes created by society’s expectations or my own. My role is to help my children be more who they already are. I can spot early traces of unique talent in my children, even at their young ages. My three-year-old son is remarkably observant and inquisitive. Simply telling him to do something because “it’s a rule” is typically met with a defiant “no.” Instead, he learns by observing why. His five-year-old sister, in contrast, loves structure and teaching people about what she has learned. She has an unusual ability to remember things and has a natural gift for empathizing with and relating to people.
It is already tempting for me to imagine my daughter being a great teacher, like her mother, or a smart and caring physician. Given schools’ intense focus on science, technology, education, and math, I’m sure that both my son and my daughter will feel pressure to excel in these subjects. Yet when they enter the work world, the most valuable goal they can have will be to do something that provides them a positive charge and creates meaning. Everyone grows up with different expectations. One of the best ways to find your areas of interest or passion is by exploring new subjects. If a parent, friend, or mentor introduces you to something you enjoy that builds on your natural talents, it can be quite informative. There is nothing better than working on something with people you love. However, it is easy to fall into a “default career path” – one that is about other’s people’s expectations than about your internal motivations.
The only shadow you should live in is your own. You were born with unique traits and influenced by people who helped you become what you are today. To do justice to those who have invested in you, the challenge is to live the life you want. (in light of their investment in you to enable you to have the opportunity to live the dream perhaps they inspired to search out within you…)
Craft Your Dreams Into Your Job
Everyday you let something keep you from following a dream, you lose an opportunity to create meaning. However, few people find their ideal job on their first attempt. This is why chipping away at a dream in small steps can be deeply motivating.
A new body of research suggests that people forge great jobs with effort, as opposed to finding them through job postings. This research, led by led by a team at the U of Michigan, found that you can craft existing jobs to significantly improve the meaningfulness of your work. Effective “job crafting” starts (1.) by looking at how much time you dedicate to specific tasks that give you energy each day. It also entails (2.) looking at the way your relationships at work and (3.) your perception of what you do create meaning for others. By reviewing these three areas, you should be able to build some of your dreams into your current job.
BOTTOM LINE:
Remember during your education and early jobs those instances when you felt such a positive charge that you lost track of time. Recall exactly what you were doing and who you were with and then contemplate how you possibly could inject some of that chemistry into your current job tomorrow. Perhaps even more relevant is to identify those specific people who energize your work and spend less time around those who don’t. You can do more for other people if you stay clear of those who consistently stress you out or drag you down. Work is like any other social network: both negative and positive emotions spread quickly.
Discussion Questions:
What specific tasks do you get so engaged in that you lose track of time?
Who energizes your days? How can you spend more time with them?
Chapter Recap: Cast your own shadow by building your dreams into your job. What is one step you can take today to see how your work makes a difference for others?
NEXT UP:
UNSPOKEN FACT: Whatever you’re apt to be most proud of in a decade from now will not likely be anything that was the result of you simply responding!