Today is Wednesday, so this post is on outstanding performance.
A couple of weeks ago, the Denver Post ran an article on travel jobs. In part, the article said, “Who hasn’t dreamed of a travel-gig, with its inherent glamour, excitement and seductiveness? The ability to live or spend time in exotic or remote locales and get paid to do what some think of as play rather than work is built right in.”
The article went on to profile 10 travel jobs.
- Antarctica field station worker
- Cruise ship dance host
- Hot air balloon pilot
- Fishing guide
- International house sitter
- Tour company program director
- Travel photographer
- International flight attendant
- River rafting guide
- Mountain bike patroller
This article got me thinking. I have often joked that I would love to be a bicycle cop – getting paid to ride my bike and stay in shape. But in the end, I love what I do so much, that I wouldn’t trade it for any job.
And that’s the point I want to make about performance. Find something you love to do and you’ll become a high performer. I love helping individuals, teams and companies grow and succeed. I’ve wanted to be a consultant and speaker ever since I discovered the field when I was first out of college. If you asked me at 22 or 23 what I would like to be doing when I was in my 50s, I would have told you “running a one person consulting business out of my home.” I’m 57, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 19 years. I’m lucky. I’m blessed. And I know it.
I’ve also worked hard to get to where I am today. But that’s OK – because I love what I do, and I enjoyed the hard work it took me to get where I am.
There is an old saying, “love what you do, and you’ll never work another day in your life.” This is true. The trick is finding what you love, and being willing to take the risks necessary to get into that line of work. For a young person just starting out, this can mean unpaid internships, night school for a degree, volunteering for unglamorous jobs with professional organizations or any number of other tasks that take up otherwise free time.
The payoff comes down the road when you find yourself in a career in a field that you love. As I’ve mentioned above, when you love what you do, it’s easy to be a high performer.
The common sense point here is simple. Figure out what you really want to do – and then find a job that allows you to do it. If you do, you’ll be more likely to become a high performer and a career and life success.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com to subscribe to my monthly ezine and for more common sense. Check out my other blog: www.CommonSenseGuy.com for common sense advice on leading people and running a small business.
I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Bud
PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.
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