Jeff Goins

The author wasn't too far into his thirties when he wrote this book, which is a totally different life stage compared to someone in their fifties. I have an eye on retirement within the next decade which influences my work choices in all sorts of ways - a desire to keep feeding my pension pot, getting close to a very expensive stage of parenting as my eldest gets closer to going to university, a fear of starting at the bottom of the ladder again in a new career, having become used to a certain level of income after years of working towards that. However, I'll give Goins his due - I don't think that age gap was overly apparent in this book thanks to the research he's done and the wide spectrum of ages od people he interviewed for the book.

I liked the stages he suggests for finding your calling:

Awareness - be attuned to common threads that link big moments in your life.
Accidental apprenticeships - finding mentors in unlikely places and being open to things that cross your path that may not feel like obvious opportunities at the time.
Practice - being open to up-skilling and getting better at the thing that interests you.
Discovery - you don't necessarily have to take a big leap of faith. What about building small bridges that move you from A to B to C?
Pivoting - make failure your friend. Learn from mistakes. Figure out how to pivot.
Mastery - your new thing doesn't have to be the be all and end all of a new career; the rise of portfolio careers.
Legacy - how real job satisfaction comes from feeling good about what you are doing for the world, for other people.

These may all sound fairly obvious, but I did have a small-scale Nirvana moment of sorts when I read this book. I've been searching for a total 360 shift in career and instantly hitting mental roadblocks around how I could possibly make that work at this age. Perhaps the answer is smaller than that. Perhaps indeed it is about starting with building short bridges.

4.5 stars - motivating and thought-provoking.… (mere)

This book encouraged me and scared me at the same time. It’s good to know that the author, and other writers are, and have been, exactly where I am today….aspiring in my heart to be a writer. I have started on a book, I have lists of ideas for books and other things to write about, but, stop short of actually finishing anything, or even starting some things. Years ago, I took notes upon notes of ideas to start my own blog, but was too scared to ever do it. I’ve even started on writing a history of our Acadian ancestors, which sits unfinished right above this computer I’m typing on at this very moment.

To be a writer, you can’t just write when inspired by a thought or idea, you HAVE TO WRITE DAY-IN AND DAY-OUT!!! This is a scary thought to commit myself daily to writing and producing something…anything really, keeping in mind that Facebook is only reactionary writing. That is not writing! You cannot react and write at the same time. To write daily is to write free of any distractions and thoughts that provoke responses. You need a free and clear mind. I guess I need to pack my bags and head to the woods to be alone for a while.

The author suggests that the very first step to becoming a writer is to proclaim yourself as a writer, even if you are not one yet. Attach “, writer” to the end of your signature….haha…okay...done!

Next, start a blog and start publishing your work immediately, even if you have no followers. Remember, no one cares about you or what you write, but this is the practice you need. You have to earn the follower’s trust, and THEY choose what matters to them. Eventually, you will have a few fans, and maybe later on you’ll have more. But, he does warn about keeping up with the numbers, a trap you need to avoid. Maybe use it only as a guide to help you find your writing voice. If your writing voice only moves you and no one else, then you haven’t found your voice. Remember to write for YOURSELF! Be TRUE! Be CONSISTENT! Don’t write to impress others because you will be found out if you are a fake or not!

For the blog, start by building your platform. I would have to say…if I were to start a blog….that my platform would be “The Journalist” (homestead stuff) and the “The Artist” (photography stuff) combined. You would need to build your brand of who you really are: 1) A name or brand name; 2) Image of yourself through all platforms (blog, Facebook, twitter, website, etc…); and 3) Your voice…style and tone. He has a lot more good information to reference later on, if I make it to this step.

He then goes into getting your work published for magazines, guest posts on other blogger's websites, and even publishing books. This is where it all gets a bit scary for me, and I have to ask myself if I’m really ready. He insists you don’t waste your time writing until AFTER you present your subject ideas to the editor. If they bite, and accept your ideas to be published, then you are given a time-frame to write your piece, even if you have to do the research on your subject. ME: Mind goes completely blank and I can’t find words. That’s exactly what would happen! The last thing you need to do is let down an editor because it’s over after that!

You can follow this author on different social media:
Blog: goinswriter.com
Facebook: facebook.com/goinswriter
Website: youareawriter.com
Twitter: twitter.com/jeffgoins
http://tribewriters.com

Missy Ivey, writer… (mere)

I have a love/hate relationship with the personal growth genre.

First the love: Along with other sources of wisdom, books have saved my life (made it worth living). Because of this I picked up Goins' book with open wonder; would he offer practical wisdom for finding my purpose or calling? This is an ongoing quest for me.

Goins commiserates with readers who think: I don't know my calling, and shares several stories to move us past that thinking. I felt less alone in my quest. He also referenced several writers with whom I resonate: Parker Palmer, Viktor Frankl, and Frederick Buechner. Occasionally, the chapter organization around the Seven Stages of finding your calling felt a bit stretched and illustrations a little off the mark. However, Jeff's engaging style drew me in.

Now the hate: this is not directly related to the content of the book -- it's more about my own issues. After explaining how one finds and lives a calling, Goins posits that:
1."When we talk about finding a calling we're not just seeking an activity. We're looking for an identity, an understanding of who we are. ...It is, in a way, a journey of becoming."
I love this honesty, I really do. But how do we understand who we are? Become our authentic selves? These answers are not included in the scope of this book.
2."To be called is not enough. You must become your calling, a choice that happens only if you make it. ...As with any journey, there is risk and danger, the likelihood of failure. And most would rather play it safe than be rejected by their friends or fall on their faces for the world to see. So they live lives of safety and relative obscurity, focusing on the things they enjoy and are praised for instead of daring to do something great. And time creeps by, taunting those who did not live."
Again, truth. But how do we embark on a journey of risk and danger? How do we move beyond lives tied to external incentives? Intrinsic motivation is something we all need to learn, but how? Schools don't cultivate it. Families seldom instill it.

Another sticking point: How does someone who has just cleared 30 speak with authority about finding a calling?

Even the points that distress me raise worthwhile questions. And I do love a writer who gets me thinking. So even in the hate, I found some love.



… (mere)