Learning to Love your Work
Have you ever been stalked by a book ? You know, every time you're browsing in a book shop you pick it up because you're drawn to the cover, or friends insist that you must it ? Well this is one of those books for me. I found it while waiting for my other half to finish selecting a dreary textbook. I couldn't bear to look at more technical books, so I strayed towards the self-help shelves. I was proud of never having read a self-help book in my life but there I was, with time to kill, and a golden-covered book before me called 'The Work we were Born to Do' by Nick Williams. It had a distinct dog-earred look about it from customers sneaking a peak at the contents so I just let it fall open at the most used section. I was halfway through the chapter before he caught me, 'Are you buying that ?'
'Me ? A self-help book ? No way !'
I bought it a week later.
The subtitle explains the book's purpose quite clearly 'find the work you love, love the work you do'. Williams won't tell you how to quit your job and make a fortune, but he will guide you to improving what you currently do and how to find different work, if that's what you need.
His twelve principles cover the process of working out what you really want to do, helping you to stop using money as an excuse to avoid change, unleashing your creativity, and learning what success means to you. Each principle is explained clearly and then illustrated by a series of questions that he recommends you answer in a journal. The first will get you to outline your beliefs about some aspect of work, the second will make you realise that you're merely repeating something you absorbed from others, and the final one helps you to decide for yourself. It's a simple ploy and it works well. Even if you decide not to change anything in your life as a result, I am sure that you'll understand yourself better.
He provides dozens of life examples from his work as a consultant for businesses and individuals on career issues. Bravely he has also included references to his own setback-plagued struggle to find the niche where he is now clearly happy. Reading stories about others who have been forced by illness, misery or inspiration to change their lives from being bankers to yoga teachers (and vice versa) provided great encouragement. It is always good to know that others have survived the transition.
His friendly style of writing, which is laced with inspirational quotations from sources as diverse as the Bible, Woody Allen, and the Dalai Lama, charms the reader into admitting their weaknesses and understanding that the cost of not changing may outweigh any risks involved in trying that new chance or starting a small business of their own.
For those who use the 'But where on earth could I start ?' excuse there is no escape, as Williams gives hundreds of practical steps to discovering and creating your ideal career. They vary from thanking a current colleague for being helpful, to finding a mentor who loves their own work and can be a positive example, through to using visualisation and deep breathing to focus your energy.
There's plenty of food for thought in the book. It is worth reading slowly (or reading twice) and I hate to recommend homework but keeping that question journal is a good idea. I defy you to read this book and not learn something about yourself from it, even if you're not thinking about changing your work. Its only weakness is that you will need to be honest with yourself to get anything from this sort of self-analysis, and honesty can be hard to come by.
So am I glad that this book stalked me ? Yes, I am. It helped me to realise some important facts about my attitude to work, money and dreams. Halfway through reading the book I saw an advertisement for a freelance job that I would have normally have talked myself out of applying for. I applied in the spirit of 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'. I got the job, and I love it.
Title : 'The Work We Were Born to Do'
Author : Nick Williams
Publishing Info : 1999 and 2001, Element Book Ltd, ISBN 1 86204 552 6
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Copyright Grace Tierney, 2003