Originally published Monday, 06 October 2014.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Day Job to Dream Job by Kary Oberbrunner for one reason: five years ago, I quit my day job to pursue my dream job.
I appreciate my friend Kary for opening up about his job transition and for showing others that it's possible to "get busy living or get busy dying." One of the principles he shared in Day Job to Dream Job is that you can reinvent yourself regularly. I think that's what I was most afraid of when I quit my job. I thought I had finally found my dream job, my calling. I thought life was as good as it gets.
I.
Was.
Wrong.
There are seasons when God challenges our thinking while He expands our platform -- whether we like it or not.
Success is scary.
I know.
It requires risk, and not everyone is willing to make the leap.
In Day Job to Dream Job, Kary writes:
At this moment, the majority of people are considering leaving their day jobs. According to a recent poll, "Eighty-six percent of the employees polled said they planned to actively look for a new position in the upcoming year. Another 8 percent said they ma do so and are already networking. Only 5 percent intend to stay in their current position." [1]
Today, if you find yourself stuck in the prison of your day job, I want you to know that you are not alone. Your Dream job may just be right around the corner.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book to encourage you that overcoming is possible!
DJ's [Dream Jobbers] work and play. They create and rest. They've chosen to integrate their lives. In the words of L.P. Jacks, they're masters in the art of living. Which giants take up your headspace? How long have they lived there? Your pricing says way more about your self-image than your personal value. Of course, some professionals overcharge their clients, but most of us do the complete opposite.
If your fees are too low, it's very possible your self-image is too low. But simply slaying mental giants isn't enough. To enter your dream job you need a new perspective on income too.
Day Jobbers' Five Most Frequent Fears: (1) Failure (2) Inadequate Resources (3) Incompetence (4) Rejection (5) Getting Stuck Critique and criticism will come for you. Every DJ [Dream Jobber] encounters it. The only thing that might surprise you is the source. Most often it comes from friends and loved ones...Take a deep breath. Their comments aren't meant to be painful. They're not trying to sabotage your success. They just don't want to see you get hurt. Negative people try to pull you down with their criticism and critique. They've felt their own dreams within their grasp but they fell a few inches short. Rather than push through their pain, they fled instead. Now they've made it their self-appointed mission to prevent anyone else from going for their dreams. But too many times we focus on the cost of acting.
DJs [Dream Jobbers] flip the equation. They do serious reflection on the cost of not acting. They take inventory of what will happen if they stay in their day job rather than if they leave. When you delay your dream job, you also delay life change in other people. I realized that my journey is much bigger than me. I discovered that by pursuing my dream job, I injected more believability, authenticity, and credibility into myself and my message. Since then I've matured.
I am so encouraged by Kary Oberbrunner's words in Day Job to Dream Job because I've lived them. I also know that I'm not the only one struggling to make the leap.
Every single day for the past five years, I've been stretched, taken risks, and matured in ways I never imagined. And, like Kary, I realize that pursuing my dream job is more about affecting change in the lives of others. Be encouraged. Friend, "I want to help you create an escape plan. Before I do, you'll have to admit that you're a prisoner. If you're still in denial, then I can't help. But if you want to escape your day job and enter our dream job, then I'd be honored to help you imagine and implement your own escape plan."
To read more about this Nine-Step Escape Plan, please purchase a copy of Day Job to Dream Job by Kary Oberbrunner here.
Five stars!
Bravo!
Question: Are you currently working in a day job or a dream job? Why?
[1] Right Management ManPower Group, "Survey Finds Continued Worker Discontentment." November 27, 2012, http://www.right.com/news-and-events/press-releases/2012-press-releases/item24318.aspx.
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