by Adam Dawson
Did anyone watch the video Emily posted about finding the right kind of work? Her post, and the video, and one of the comments, really got me thinking about my work and my desires for our life.
The community of full-time business school applicants is thriving. You spend months preparing for the GMAT exam, researching schools, perusing the various rankings, visiting campuses, filling out applications, and writing admissions essays. You find yourself wrapped up in online forums, blogs, and websites devoted entirely to the process. There are even consultants who will review your applications in your quest to get into the best school possible. Invariably, every application asks some version of the question, “Why do you want an MBA? And why this school?”
In those coffee shop moments of self-reflection, many young professionals decide they want to save the world through business. Every applicant wants to import fair trade goods, start a micro-lending business, or something else very noble. Then we all go to school for two years, realize we need to pay back our loans, and take consulting, banking, and management jobs. Nobody ever holds you to what you said on your application. And strangely enough, a couple years later, when you meet up with the alumni group in your city, the majority of folks are complaining about work! Even the most “successful” business people have not found fulfillment in their work.
Thankfully, I have lucked into working for a company that I really enjoy. We are consistently ranked on all the lists of best places to work. I get a good mental challenge from my job responsibilities and am generally happy. But I’ve never REALLY fit in to the corporate culture, anywhere. Some people thrive in this environment, they relish the challenge of office politics; “Aligning cross-functional teams” seems to really get some people going, along with all the wining and dining, bespoke fitted shirts, and the whole thing. I am so grateful for the ability to work in a good job with reasonable pay and benefits. But when difficulties arise, it really drains me. I look around at the leaders in companies I’ve worked with, and I’m just different somehow. I don’t care about the same things.
I’ve always desired to do meaningful work. And for me, meaningful means connected to others around me. The first step in the “Live Your Legend” system that the Ted Talk mentioned was being intensely self-aware. I know myself well enough to understand that I thrive the most when I’m helping, teaching, or guiding people, and when I’m living out my values. I had a long talk with Emily and decided there are 4 general career paths that I would really, REALLY thrive in.
- Working with college students (career counseling, teaching)
- Real estate investing (rental properties)
- Financial planning (they say mental health professionals are the craziest people – maybe being in a financial hole doesn’t stop you from helping others)
- My ultimate career dream – owning a retreat/farm where people can come live the simple life. I don’t want to be a farmer, exclusively, but I envision a place with a large farm market, pick-your-own operation, cider mill, hayrides, etc., combined with a retreat center where groups or families could come live in the wilderness for a weekend or a year and learn simple, traditional living. People could learn to grow and prepare their own food, raise and care for livestock, and learn sustainable practices.
This is a very long post – thanks for hanging around! What does this have to do with our debt payoff? Easy! I am willing to do the work I’m doing now, and focus for the next 4 years on paying off debt, so that I can realize my dream of this kind of meaningful work at some point in the future. The hope of what’s ahead is what keeps me focused.
What about YOU? Are you living your legend? What is the work you can’t not do?
