MONDAY BYTE — Sept. 1, 2014
[Brit actor Jenny Eclair as the Fairy Godmother in 2011 production
of Cinderella at Richmond Theatre, Photo by Peter Schiazza]
Happy Labor Day!
In celebration, here is my favorite labor-related question (for clients and others):
“If a Fairy Godmother showed up, bonked you on the head with her wand, and said, ‘you can now have the life you want,’ what would you say?”
In other words, if money and logistics were no concern, how would you to choose to live and what kind of work would you want?
I love this question because it frees us up to dream instead of being limited by our current circumstances and perceived limitations.
But when invited to do this exercise some folks are reluctant to even think about what they’d really like to be doing. Some find this difficult because their ideal seems so far from what they think possible that they’re afraid to imagine this better life.
But I find the discussion about one’s ideal life helpful. It inevitably leads to discussing what practical steps we can take NOW to improve our current situation, and what we can set in motion to move toward our dream future.
For example, let’s say you tell the Fairy Godmother you’d like to be performing internationally with a contemporary ensemble. And let’s say that you already have a group but you haven’t yet performed much.
Next question would be: based on what you’d like to be doing with your group, what would help you towards this goal?
So, do you need to gain more performance experience first locally? Do you need to gain media attention and press quotes to upgrade your promotional materials?
If so, you can start working on these goals one step at a time. And yes, it’s important to get feedback and advice along the way to make sure your immediate action steps and goals are appropriately aligned with your future goal and your current abilities.
Too many people spend their lives complaining about jobs they hate, instead of doing something about what it is they want. And yes, anything worth doing takes time and effort. If you’re looking for a magic bullet or to get “discovered,” then you are believing in fairy tales.
So I advise people to daydream first and then take action: you learn as you go and though your destination may end up different from your original concept, YOU will be the one navigating the course!
For this week: First, let’s declare this week a complaint free zone, and with that freed up time and psychic space, consider what work you’d like to add, change, or delete from your life. So, . . . if a Fairy Godmother shows up and bonks you on the head with her wand, saying you could have the life you want, what will you say?
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Monday Bytes archived posts are HERE.
