Enjoying your work
A good teacher goes a long way…
October 24, 2011 | 
Author A good teacher goes a long way…
Friday night I took the Riverside Moonlight History & Mystery Tour at Denver's oldest operating cemetery. Very interesting – not spooky, just historically interesting. The tour guide took us around the old paths, warned us not to trip on the stones, and told stories about Denver's colorful historical figures – a bank robber in an unmarked grave (1,000 people came to his funeral); a prostitute murdered by a Jack the Ripper copycat; Augusta Tabor, who ended up rich while her ex-husband and Baby Doe did not. The tour took about an hour and a half but felt like maybe 15 minutes – I lost track of time while immersed in the stories and the place.
I majored in history in college. I hated history – until 11th grade, that is, when Mr. Dickman leaned back in his chair and began to tell stories, really interesting stories, not "Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, blah de blah." I learned that year that the same subject I'd deemed "most boring ever" was actually one of my favorites. I could get lost in those stories, too, and I learned how fascinating people really are, then and now. If it weren't for Mr. Dickman, would I have even been interested in the cemetery tour all these years later?
It's clear that one teacher can change the course of our lives, or can at least make us see something in a totally new way. It's helpful in career development to think about who your influential teachers have been, even as far back as high school. It's equally beneficial to consider the subjects you loved back then, even if you've long since abandoned them for more "practical" things (no, I mean especially if you've abandoned them). What lessons from these teachers and subjects can you look back on to inform your present and future life?
What did you used to love? Who influenced you in positive ways that you may have forgotten all about? Is there anything you can find in the answers to these questions that might help guide you toward your next pursuit?
How am I "using" history? Most of all, I still love stories. I listen to my clients' stories and synthesize what they tell me into the collaborative idea-generating process and into helping them see new perspectives on their situations. I listen to people's stories outside of work – at coffee houses, in folk music, at the movies, in novels…stories are everywhere. And before I became a counselor, I conducted personal history interviews, taught middle school history, and wrote lesson plans for other teachers' history classes. So the thread continues to weave through my life.
More to the point, how might you weave the thread into your life? How might you "use" the subjects you love? Is there a potential career connection, or might you incorporate those subjects into your life regardless of what you get paid to do? Do any of these subjects get you to lose track of time, to be in the flow of your experience? By considering these questions, you can very possibly see what needs more attention in your life, either on a grand scale (new career) or in a more subtle way (reading a historical novel, subscribing to National Geographic, taking a French class, etc.).
Posted in Enjoying your work, Exploring the options, Finding your "thing", Life satisfaction, What are you called to do? | 
Tags: flow, interests | 
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“Career advice” from the ’80s
"Career advice" from the '80s
Oh wow, I went to a good show Saturday night! Sometimes the music of our youth comes back to grab us when we're much older, casting a spell that transcends the outrageous hairstyles of our high school decade (in my case, the '80s). That's what happened at the Howard Jones concert in downtown Denver. Remember him? No matter…back then, I loved his high energy songs but most of all his lyrics, and I still do.
There's some clear relevance to career development in lines like:
The world teaches us to think that life is full of limitations
The world tries to make us think that there are loads of limits
Welcome to Conditioning
and
This is a song to all my friends
They take the challenge to their hearts
Challenging preconceived ideas
Saying goodbye to long standing fears
and
And tell me, is it a crime to have an ideal or two
Evolving takes its time, we can't do it all in one go
Doesn't have to drive us all mad, we can only do our best
Let the mind shut up, and the heart do the rest
(lyrics from Conditioning, New Song, and Don't Always Look at the Rain, http://www.howardjones.com/lyrics.html)
I really didn't write this post to provide insight about my musical preferences. This is really about you:
- In what ways might you be holding back based on longstanding conditioning or "metal chains" that are no longer serving you?
- Where have your ideals gone? Are they still lurking somewhere? Are you in touch with them every day? If not, what can you do to get them back?
- What music inspired you in high school or your earlier days? Does it still? Can you return to it for comfort in times of stress?
Posted in Enjoying your work, Life satisfaction, Overcoming obstacles, What are you called to do? | Tags: ideals, inspiration, outside-the-box | No Comments »
What notes do you hear?
What notes do you hear?
Last weekend, I saw the movie Mozart's Sister. It's a beautifully done period piece set in the time when Wolfgang was 11 years old and his father leads him, his sister, and their mother around Europe to perform for the muckety-mucks and, hopefully, gain commissions to write and perform more music. The focal character in the movie is Wolfgang's sister, Nannerl, who at 15 is a musical genius in her own right. The problem is, she's a girl, and you can probably guess what that means for her musical future in the late 18th century.
One thing Nannerl says in the movie stands out for me in terms of my work. When telling her father that she composed something Wolfgang has been getting credit for, despite her dad's admonitions not to compose anything, she says, "But I hear the notes," and describes how the notes automatically formulate themselves into her compositions within her head. She cannot help it – she cannot keep herself from hearing these notes and listening to the music they combine to create.
Even though we're not all musical whizzes like the Mozarts, we all have these "notes" within that drive us toward the creative endeavors that will most fulfill us. The trouble is that they come from a place of deep intuition, and most of us find that it's hard to tap into that place when we're just trying to get through our daily routines. But by sorting through the mind's chatter and listening to the softer (but often very persistent) voices behind the clutter, we often begin to let creative ideas come up without our having to try very hard.
It's important to keep this in mind In the career development process – what's behind the superficial chatter, and what "notes" make themselves known when you're in a relaxed or restful state?
How to cultivate the "notes?" You don't have to be a musical genius, but you do need to give yourself periods of quality time when you can get out of your normal environment and listen for them. This takes practice and patience, as well as a commitment to letting yourself slow down.
Three essentials for fulfilling work
Three Essentials for Fulfilling Work
A little while back, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Daniel Pink's book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. He talks about the three things everyone needs to thrive at their jobs (and the three things every organization should be sure to cultivate in its workforce): autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Good things to think about in your own career/job search, I'd say.
Most of the people I work with don't have any of these in their current work (that's why they've called a career counselor, I suppose). What about you? Does your current position offer: Autonomy over your time and how you get your work done; the potential to work toward Mastery of challenging projects, tasks, and goals; and an overarching sense of Purpose in the work you do? If you're looking for a new job or career direction, it might be wise to keep these three factors in mind, at least considering their level of importance to you and whether you know where to look for them.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- What puts you in a state of "flow" (complete engagement with what you're doing, so you lose track of time)?
- What gives you a true sense of purpose or meaning?
- What level of autonomy and trust do you need from your employer in order to do your best work?
- What have you taken pleasure in "mastering" (knowing that doesn't mean you're perfect at it, just really good)? What was that mastery process like for you?
- Do you know anyone who seems to have all three of these elements (autonomy, mastery, purpose) in their work life? What have they done to put themselves in this fortunate position? What can you learn from this person's experience?
The pursuit of happiness – for real
The Pursuit of Happiness – For Real
One of the primary reasons people come to career counseling is to take the next step in their personal "pursuit of happiness." From our first days in elementary school, we've been told that this is a noble, fundamental American pursuit. (Historians have debated what Thomas Jefferson meant by happiness – many argue that he meant a "public happiness," the type that one feels when giving to others and to the common good – more on that in this Wikipedia article.)
But what, really, is happiness, and how do we "get" it? That's one of the places where my job as a career counselor becomes very interesting, and tricky – I certainly can't craft anyone else's happiness, and, I would argue, neither can finding that great job. The field of positive psychology describes six "core virtues" that contribute to happiness for most people in most parts of the world (the words in parentheses are measurable character strengths, which can be learned and practiced):
- Wisdom and Knowledge (creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspective, innovation)
- Courage: (bravery, persistence, integrity, vitality, zest)
- Love and Humanity (love, kindness, social intelligence)
- Justice (citizenship, fairness, leadership)
- Temperance (forgiveness and mercy, humility, prudence, self control)
- Spirituality and Transcendence (appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality)
In the mindfulness teachings I've learned and share with others, happiness is developed and practiced as an internal state, removed from such external factors as money, job status, and possessions (I would qualify this by agreeing with the research that indicates our basic needs must first be met – food, shelter, some close relationships with family and/or friends). Mindfulness practice, such as meditation and contemplating gratitude, can elevate one's sense of meaning, put things in perspective, reduce anxiety, and help a person clarify and act upon goals that will lead to increased genuine fulfillment.
In the "The connection between a good job and happiness is overrated" post on her Brazen Careerist blog, Penelope Trunk cites an Economist magazine article defining "The traits of work that makes someone happy":
- stretches a person without defeating him
- provides clear goals
- provides unambiguous feedback
- provides a sense of control
She goes on to emphasize that we can cultivate these qualities in our jobs, rather than needing them as fundamentals from the beginning of our employment. I agree that this is possible, provided there's room for this cultivation (and many workplaces just don't have it). So, the question remains – what is happiness for you, and how do you make sure you maximize your happiness?
You might find some clues above…and don't expect that career counseling will lead to happiness in the obvious ways. In my view, a good job/career match is important, but searching for that elusive "perfect" match can be an exercise in acquisition, which does not lead to genuine happiness. Once you "acquire" that great job, or even that great alternative lifestyle that may be offered by a creative, nontraditional career path, you might find yourself looking for the next thing, wondering why that acquisition did not lead you to daily bliss.
Instead, focusing on the job/career search as it plays into the above happiness indicators, and remembering that it's not the "be all, end all" of your happiness pursuit, is a much more realistic and satisfying attitude to take. And yes, as a career counselor with training in psychotherapy and mindfulness, I can help you cultivate a lasting, genuine happiness. I welcome your comments about happiness – what has made you happy in your life? Which pursuits of happiness have really "worked," and which ones have not lived up to your expectations? Does your job/career make you happy?
