| Mistake # 1: Doing work that brings no joy or | | | | this strategy is we avoid becoming self-aware and |
| happiness Who made up the rule that says work | | | | knowing WHO we are. When we find out, this is a |
| should bring misery. Go ahead and add up the | | | | much better story to tell ourselves and those |
| hours of "work" left in your life. Calculate up to | | | | around us. Mistake #6: Working in a job that does |
| the day you stop breathing, not the day you | | | | not align with what is most important to you |
| retire. A big number, isn't it? Now, how will you | | | | What is most important to you in your life? Is it |
| spend those hours? The choice is yours. Mistake | | | | your work? The bigger the gap between your |
| #2: Doing work that does not align your abilities | | | | daily activity and what is most important to you, |
| and your interests This is huge. Think about it. If | | | | the greater the opportunity for emptiness, a quick |
| your work does not include an alignment of your | | | | death or even worse, RETIREMENT. Mistake # 7: |
| abilities and your interests, no wonder you feel | | | | Waiting for permission Those who wait for |
| burned out. Better to be interested in something | | | | permission to change and do the work they love |
| that you don't have abilities in than to work a | | | | will have a long wait. Permission must come from |
| lifetime at activities you are good, at but have no | | | | within you. It is not easy but it is the only way to |
| interest in. Mistake #3: Working for someone else | | | | an authentic life. Mistake # 8: Becoming |
| When you are working just to pay the bills or | | | | comfortable but not happy at work You know |
| support your family or please your spouse or | | | | the signs. You know exactly when the boss's |
| your parents, you are dying a slow death. Just like | | | | report is due each week; you look forward to the |
| the frog in the slowly heating pot, you won't | | | | Friday night after-work social hour, and the |
| notice at first. You are too busy working day to | | | | Christmas bonus. Deep inside however, you know |
| day to think about it. Of course you love your | | | | you are fooling everyone but yourself. The first |
| family and want to help them. After 40, you have | | | | step towards change is acknowledging the inner |
| served society's calling. Now it is your turn to | | | | signal and doing something about it. Mistake # 9: |
| finally do what you love and enlist those around | | | | Waiting for retirement to be happy So much can |
| you for support. If you don't, the pot will boil over | | | | happen between now and retirement, and it will. |
| before right before your eyes. Mistake # 4: | | | | The ONLY people who re-tire (get ready to die) |
| Staying in work that is empty and without | | | | are people who don't love their work. Want to |
| meaning out of fear Many of us fear what might | | | | slow down the aging process? Do what you love |
| happen if we take a chance. I suggest you | | | | now! Mistake #10: Deciding to pursue happiness |
| instead look at what you have at stake if you | | | | outside of work I hear this one all the time. The |
| don't change. Your life!! I can guarantee you won't | | | | problem with this strategy is your quality of life |
| die or become homeless if you follow your | | | | declines with this move. Eight to ten hours of |
| passion and figure out now how to do what you | | | | working in an empty job, or worse, an empty |
| love. I CAN guarantee, however, that you will live | | | | career, leaves you with very little energy left |
| an empty life without happiness if you continue to | | | | over for anything fun. The other day someone |
| spend 8-10 hours a day at just a job. And your | | | | asked me how often I worked, and for how |
| unhappiness will affect everyone around you. | | | | many hours. It was such a strange question for |
| Mistake # 5: Staying in a job JUST for the money | | | | me. I didn't know what to say. It was like asking |
| and the perks and the title Many people do this. | | | | me, how often do I breathe? Years ago, I did |
| The money is nice. It enables us to buy stuff and | | | | give a numerical answer, of course, but not |
| stay in debt. The free coffee or laundry or | | | | anymore. So how about you? Are you working? |
| discount coupons or big office with real wood | | | | Or are you breathing life and all that it has to |
| makes us feel important. The title, of course, | | | | offer? |
| helps us tell people what we do. The problem with | | | | |