I’m working through my books to read in 2012 and loving it so far. Finished Quitter by Jon Acuff about closing the gap between your day job and your dream job.
Acuff is just plain funny. I read the entire book over one weekend when I was traveling to speak in Northern California. Since I was traveling without children, I had hours to read in the airport and plane. The book really spoke to me because Jon Acuff wanted to quit his day job to become a speaker and author. I could certainly relate to that!
What I found refreshing about the book is the way Acuff was honest about the challenges of following your dream job. He didn’t sugar coat that experience – reminding everyone that being a broke dreamer with health, grocery, and insurance bills, a mortgage and car payment, and a financially strained marriage is no picnic. Be smart about staying in your day job and doing your best there to launch eventually into the job you long for.
Acuff writes, Anyone can dream; it’s the doing that is such a hassle.
The doing Acuff describes is hustling. How much do you hustle for your dream job? Do you just pine away about it or are you active in your spare time to hone your skills, broaden your network, practice your craft?
Since reading the book, I’ve been thinking “hustle.” When I have my 1.5 hour window in the day while Lucy is sleeping, I think HUSTLE! Get the blog done, answer emails, work on talks, HUSTLE! Instead of being discouraged by all I can’t seem to accomplish, I’m focusing on hustling on a few tasks at a time.
Another thing he said was to enjoy being invisible. On your way to your dream job, don’t despise small beginnings. Be grateful for them. They are necessary. You can make mistakes while being invisible. If you were the big cheese you’re dreaming of right now – but without the necessary experience – you’d probably fall hard and fall publicly. Enjoy the stage of being invisible, under the radar.
Lastly, I liked what he said about recovering your dreams instead of discovering your dreams. Instead of laying awake at night asking, “What was I made for?” ask yourself, “When have I felt most alive? What have I really enjoyed doing in my life?” Ever since I was in junior high, I loved public speaking. Now 25 years later, I’m recovering those childhood dreams and speaking.
If you want to recover some of your dreams and explore moving towards a dream job, Quitter is a great read!
