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We talk a lot about how to know what matters to you. How to do what matters to you FOR A LIVING always comes up next. That question is followed by “Is that even possible?” The answer is it’s not only possible. It’s possible for you.
Unless someone else is footing your bills or you are independently wealthy, you need to make a living. Besides making a living, we all want to do something that matters in our life. What if the two could work together?
What would it feel like to get up every morning to do something that matters to you AND get paid for it? Does that sound like a daydream or a “ nice if you can get it” deal? People worldwide are doing just that. So how do you do what matters to you for a living? 7 Ways to Discover the Real You With Enchanted Perspectives
To do what matters to you for a living, you have to start being in a headspace that will take you there. The doing comes later. Enchanted Perspectives is all about finding your authentic and genuine choices.
We are all about sorting and getting things out of your head and into your life. So let’s do some incredible steps for getting you in the headspace of doing what matters to you for a living.
How To Do What Matters To You For A Living-Incredible Step #1: First, Define What Matters To YOU.
The best way to define anything in your life is to ask yourself basic questions. These are simple questions, so make the answers simple too. Don’t overthink them. That only makes the solution and the question complicated.
Write your answers down as clearly and simply as possible. Tinker with it till it feels right but don’t doubt your instincts. Your first thought is usually a genuine thought and a good answer. You can define what matters to you with three questions:
What are you genuinely interested in?
What are you good at?
What do you enjoy doing?
Let’s start without thinking about careers or jobs, or income. Just in general, what are the answers? Write down the first thought that comes to you. Write it down even if it’s silly or sounds useless. However, don’t be snarky and cynical with yourself or make fun of your thoughts. If it’s something you are interested in, good at, or enjoy in a heart-felt way…write it down. 7 Ways to Discover the Real You With Enchanted Perspectives
Perhaps there is something you love doing like writing, gardening, cooking, creating, or being outdoors. The possibility of what could be on this list is endless. You get to make it as long as it needs to be. There is only one rule. Anything you are good at but DON’T enjoy doing doesn’t go on the list.
Yeah, But How Do I Make A Living Doing That?
The next thought is usually, “Yeah, but how do I make a living doing any of those things?” A reasonable question, and we will give you some examples. For now, just think about your answers.
They are bread crumbs or what we call Pixi-Pebbles…inspirations to get you from here to there. They are little clues that lead you back to yourself. They can help you know how to do what matters to you for a living.
For now, stay out of the “making a living” part of it. Instead, ask yourself what you could do for hours because you lose track of time while doing it? What are things that just come naturally to you? They don’t feel like working on a good day. They even might feel like playing.
Do you like the freedom of working for yourself? Perhaps that sounds like way too much. Maybe you prefer working by yourself but not for yourself. It could be you like being part of a team rather than leading the team. Possibly leading others in finding their highest and best work feels good. When you work…how do you enjoy working best?
An Example:
You have to know the “What” before getting anywhere near the “How.” For example, we know a woman who, when working through these questions, declared that what mattered to her was laying on the beach and having fun with people.
She made fun of herself for saying such a frivolous-sounding thing. She said she sounded like a spoiled teenager. But then she thought about it deeper. She looked at it in an honest and genuine way. Then realized she truly did feel like she could do anything for a living and love it… if she could do it on the beach.
She was in a very stressful and demanding job. She couldn’t think of anything else but escape. It was way too early for retiring, but she was toasty from the high-pressure work. Making a living in a different way was becoming a necessity. 7 Ways to Discover the Real You With Enchanted Perspectives
She started very adamant that there was nothing in our “How to do what matters to you for a living” plan that could help her. However, after some genuine discovery work on her part (starting with her beach declaration), she started getting ideas.
What else could she do? She pondered our questions. Even though not sure what to do with the information, she found inspiration in one thing. She already lived within an hour of the beach.
The Big “Ah-Hah.”
She realized it wasn’t about “laying” on the beach that mattered. It was about “being” at the beach and all the beach represented. What mattered to her now was being in a light, fun, pleasant atmosphere in her favorite place.
She found that in a different environment, she enjoyed what she was good at in her job. She loved problem-solving, planning, and organizing. She had done this work for years, and her instincts were good.
She knew how to think ahead, be proactive and troubleshoot. For her, it was like a fun jigsaw puzzle. She realized she didn’t dislike what she did for a living. Instead, she disliked where she did it, why she did it and who she did it for.
The end of a rather long story is that she went into business with a life-loving woman who rented beach equipment. Her past job involved project management, so she was a whiz at all the moving pieces.
She was the perfect asset to this woman who had the equipment but not much else. Remember, what you are looking for is looking for you. She was also an answer to this woman’s wondering how to make a living doing what mattered to her.
So they joined together, planning beach parties for organizations and hotels. She had found a way to make a good living being at the beach and socializing while using her life skills from her previous job.
This was nothing she had ever thought about before, but she had a place to start once she knew what really mattered to her. Answer the questions. They will guide you on doing what matters to you for a living.
How To Do What Matters To You For A Living-Incredible Step #2: Define What Success Means To You.
In the past the definition of success was a big bank account, lots of toys, and lots of clout. But our changing world now defines success with more texture and meaning. Money and things are nice, but we need more.
We need money to live regardless of the continent or culture. But we human folk are starting to realize that while money is a necessity, success is not a one-trick pony. Success is also about people, connection, quality of life, and experiences. 7 Ways to Discover the Real You With Enchanted Perspectives
People can get weirded out when they talk about money. But, the fact of the matter is that money is neutral. It is neither good nor bad. It’s like a hammer. You can use it to build a house or to hurt someone.
It’s also true that money doesn’t buy happiness. But it’s easier to be depressed in a condo in Florida than a mobile home with no air conditioning in Alabama. However, know that how much money you have doesn’t equal how happy you are.
There are people with lots of money who aren’t happy. There are folks with…not much…who love their life. Money matters, but it will never serve you if it’s all that matters. There is a saying, “Do what you love, and the money will follow.” That sounds like glitter dust and sparkle bits, but we have seen it be true over and over again.
So we aren’t saying money doesn’t matter. We are saying answer the questions but don’t think about money yet. What else does success mean to you? There is the question.
What Does Success Really Mean To You?
This is an individual thing, and you can’t get it wrong. Just be sure that you are reciting what success means to YOU and not what someone taught you success means.
To us, success is about having all of what we need, much of what we want, while enjoying what we do to create our life. Success is also about meeting good people and having fun and meaningful experiences along the way.
We admire anyone who has found a way to take care of their life’s needs while enjoying how they spend their day doing something that really matters to them. 7 Ways to Discover the Real You With Enchanted Perspectives
Another Great Example:
We once met a young woman passionate about flowers…everything about flowers. She said she thought about becoming a florist. But she didn’t like the fussiness of floral arrangements and refrigerated flowers.
She also didn’t like the idea of navigating the high emotions with funerals and weddings. She thought florists were essential, but it felt too formal and contrived for her.
She loved the smell of the dirt and felt good in the heat and the sweat. She adored the sweetness of watching seeds sprout. Cutting a wildflower bouquet was a spiritual experience to her, and she considered it an honor to share her blooms with anyone.
Zipping forward to her incredible step solution, instead of a flower shop, she started a flower farm. She created rows and rows of colorful Shasta Daisies, Marigolds, Zinnias, Dahlias, and more.
People could come and pick their own bouquets for a fee. They got the joy of picking flowers without the effort of growing them. People were willing to pay for the happy memories that came with the flowers they picked.
She spent her days planting, watering, tending her flowers. Then she sent folks off with quart jars and junk find flower vases of happiness. She grew flowers in the Spring and Summer, pumpkins and sunflowers in the Fall, and Christmas trees in the Winter.
She created family events, hayrides, and date night bonfires. She made a living doing the part of flowers that she loved (growing and caring for them). However, this had none of the pieces she didn’t like (formal arrangements of refrigerated flowers and delivery trucks).
Her sweet flower farm was the perfect example of how to do what matters to you for a living. It all started with getting clarity and defining what success meant to her.
How To Do What Matters To You For A Living-Incredible Step #3: Believe It Is Possible.
Thanks to Pinterest and Instagram, we can quickly develop a “watch from the sidelines” version of life. We can start thinking, “Yeah, other people have awesome lives. I’m just not one of those people.” THIS ISN’T TRUE.
We have watched hundreds of people rewrite the rule book for their life. Most people don’t get what they want because they don’t know what they want. They live on auto-pilot, forgetting that they have options and opportunities to choose and choose again. 7 Ways to Discover the Real You With Enchanted Perspectives
Your work doesn’t have to be a grind. Your job doesn’t have to be a sentence to hard labor. As “Bibbity Bobbity Boo” as it sounds, belief is half of the journey.
When you come across someone loving their work, listen to their stories. Ask them questions. But know they were once where you are. The only difference was that they believed it was possible to do what mattered to them for a living.
You don’t have to know what you are going to do or how to do it. You only need to believe that people do what matters to them for a living every day. Believe that there is a POSSIBILITY that this could be you too.
How To Do What Matters To You For A Living-Incredible Step #4: Give Yourself Permission.
Sometimes, we are unaware that we have a limiting belief. We don’t mean to, but we often believe in struggle. We believe in struggle and feel that if something isn’t hard…we are doing it wrong. Give yourself permission to make a living and learn what you came here to learn…in joy.
Permit yourself to have a life of joy. Give yourself permission to do what matters to you for a living. We’ve had people accomplish just that and then feel guilty because they were making a living having fun.
They felt bad because they had so much enthusiasm for how they spent their days….and got paid for it. Some even felt bad because their friends and family didn’t enjoy working as much as they did. Some felt spoiled getting paid for something that didn’t feel like work. 7 Ways to Discover the Real You With Enchanted Perspectives
Permit yourself not to struggle. Give yourself permission to feel good about how you spend your day. Just give yourself permission to be excited to do what matters to you for a living.
Present Over Perfect is a touching and powerful book that speaks to all of this. (Click here to get your copy.) Shauna is like a big sister, giving you permission and courage to have and create whatever matters to you.
How To Do What Matters To You For A Living-Incredible Step #5: Forget About The “Hows.”
The dreaded “Hows” are something that messes with all of us. For that reason, this last step is…ironic. “How to do what matters to you for a living?” The answer is, “STOP THINKING ABOUT THE HOW.” We warned you it was ironic.
“How” will stop you in your tracks before you even get started. The questions are “What” and “Why.” Once you are clear on “What” and “Why,” the “How” and “When” show up next.
Yep, we know…again… “Bibbity Boppity Boo.” But it is how we watch it untangle every time we get to witness someone take this journey. The only reason we know this is we have watched it over and over again. 7 Ways to Discover the Real You With Enchanted Perspectives
Get clear on what matters and define what success means to you, so you know what you want. Next, give yourself Permission so that you don’t self-sabotage yourself. Then believe that it is possible and forget about having to know how to do it. Once you realize the first 4 steps, the “how” can now show itself.
In just doing these steps, small things will start to show up. Ideas will begin to trickle in. You’ll meet people wondering about the same things. Don’t get upset because you don’t know the whole picture yet. It WILL come.
You are gathering your puzzle pieces. Once you have enough pieces, the puzzle will start coming together, and you will know if it looks like a puppy dog or a palm tree. Own what you know (answer your questions), But don’t be mad at yourself for not knowing what is too early to know yet.
Even If You Start Small…Start.
It’s ok to start small, maybe as a hobby or a side gig, but start. Let it feel like something that doesn’t matter that much if that will keep it from being too scary. Then, just do the next right thing. 7 Ways to Discover the Real You With Enchanted Perspectives
What matters to you? How wonderful would it feel to allow yourself to do what matters to you for a living? Step out of your way and let it find you. Remember what you are looking for is looking for you.
Pixi Pebbles…How To Do What Really Matters To You For A Living.
Pixi-Pebbles are songs, quotes, videos, interviews, movie references, and books that we each personally pick for you.
We’ve used these little Pixi-Pebbles to move ourselves from a feeling we’re not enjoying very much…to a feeling that helps us discover our vision of intention, awareness, and direction.
They lead us to hope, possibilities, and a fire under our butt to live life by design instead of default.
In our blog 5 Incredible Steps: How To Do What Really Matters To You For A Living message, these are the Pixi-Pebbles that came to mind.
Just a little inspiration to get you from here to there.
We recently discovered Green Renaissance on YouTube. Very cool, inspiring videos. Sometimes we just need to see other people doing what we really want to do or be. In this case, its doing what you love in life. Here is some great inspiration if you need it as you discover how to do what really matters to you for a living.