There is no straight line from your current job to your ideal career.
“No matter how much you enjoy what you do, there will always come a time when it is work.” – Grant Baldwin
The Cheat Sheet:
- The myth of the perfect job and/or career. (07:00)
- The best time to start something is when? And the second best time? (14:45)
- Why you’re never in too deep. (19:00)
- Follow your passion: does Grant say yay or nay to this advice? (27:10)
- Why the path of least resistance doesn’t work. (33:45)
- How many different careers do most people have on average? (44:00)
- And so much more…
Follow your passion is almost a cliche it’s been used so often. But what does that phrase even mean and is it really a good idea? Yes and no says our guest for episode 318, Grant Baldwin. Grant is a speaker and podcaster who produces the show How Did You Get Into That? On his show, he interviews men and women who encountered a “mid-life crisis” and got into an unusual profession or started a unique business as a result.
On today’s episode he and I discuss why there’s no such thing as “the perfect job or career,” why not to take a job solely for money, when following your passion is terrible advice and how to discover what your passions actually are and then create a job or business you love based on them. Join us as we talk about all that and so much more on this edition of The Art of Charm.
More About This Show:
One of the most challenging questions any of us will face is what to do with our professional lives. The advice we usually hear: follow your passion! But if you’re like most people, following your passion means something vastly different at 18 than it does at 28, 38 or 58.
Grant Baldwin knows this, he’s been there. He has always known he loves speaking and loves working with people to help them find out what they want to do in the world. Today he is a sought-after speaker and also runs a podcast aimed at helping people find their path in life by hearing other people’s cool jobs and unique businesses. He helps people see they aren’t stuck where they are, no matter how deeply entrenched in their career choice they feel they are.
One thing Grant has discovered in his journey and his discussions with people is that there is no such thing as the “perfect career or job”; everything you do, no matter how much you love it, will eventually take some work and some hustle. And I concur. But as long as you have more days that you love than hate, you’re on the right path.
We also agree that taking a job solely for the money it will pay is the wrong choice, but money should be a factor. So if you’re looking at how to make your passions a real paying gig, money is naturally a consideration but it shouldn’t be the only one. If you’re thinking of going to law school because lawyers make bank, not because you love what it takes to have a career in law, you’d be wise to rethink that course. Both Grant and I agree we’d rather do something that makes us less money but makes us happy, rather than make more money and be miserable in that job or business.
A common complaint both Grant and I hear is that it’s too late for someone to make a change, they’re in too deep with mountains of debt from school, a family to take care of, etc. And while those are always factors and considerations, Grant and I know people who have overcome all those obstacles to switch career paths, create new opportunities and new businesses that now make those same people happy and plenty of money.
Grant’s recommendation in a situation like that is incremental bravery. One of his guests coined the phrase and he liked it so much he uses it. Incremental bravery is taking small, calculated risks towards the goal or vision you are pursuing.
In other words, don’t chuck your job on Friday and think you’ll find your dream career the next Monday. It doesn’t work like that. But if you take steps towards figuring out what you love, what you’re good at and how you can make money by combining those two, you’ll be on your way.
On this show, Grant gives us some actionable tips and suggestions on how to follow our passion, find our talents and then see potential career possibilities based on the combination of those two. It’s real world advice to get you started on a new path towards happiness and professional satisfaction. Thanks for being here and we’ll see you next time.
THANKS, GRANT!
Resources from this episode:
5 Questions To Find Your Passion
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- Best of The Art of Charm Podcast
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- The Art of Charm Toolbox for Women
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