The Jump - #6 - August 2024
Dream like an Olympian
Welcome to the 6th installment of The Jump. It offers monthly musings and tips to inspire your career adventures. We all need help unlocking possibilities in our career.
We often miss the daily inspiration that surrounds us. It could be listening to music, reading the news, or taking a walk. These micro-moments offer powerful contemplative points in time, if you choose to listen. They can catalyze your career.
In this edition, I’ve been inspired by the Olympics. I’m talking about dreams and how they stem from interests and can only be achieved if we overcome obstacles. We’ve got…
Two Quotes - One from the Gymnastics GOAT
A Tip - Inventory your Interests
A Read - The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Two Quotes - One From The Gymnastics GOAT
“I would say to always follow your dream. And dream big because my whole career, including any of the things that I've accomplished, I never thought in a million years that I would be here. So it just proves that once you believe in yourself, and you put your mind to something, you can do it.”
Simone Biles
I love the Olympics! It is 16 days of dreamers competing for glory. Simone Biles and her team just won gold. Simone took the All Around too. It’s likely the culmination of a dream multiple times over.
Why do our dreams cease? Is it because we got a steady gig? Is it because the obligations of life get in the way?
When I turned 40, family and close friends wrote me heartfelt notes. I review them from time to time, for inspiration. They are a reminder of who I am from their eyes and what I’m interested in accomplishing in life. One such quote came from my “Uncle Rich.” He said…
“You’ve arrived at the threshold of your Middle Years. ‘Tis the time of transition to a search for meaning, for attaching with a deeper love to that which truly matters….begin to say many more yesses to that which tweaks your curiosity.”
I interpreted his note as the importance of pursuing your dreams, your interests. As we age, oftentimes we accept life for what it becomes, the meat grinder of going to meetings, chugging out reports and presentations, attending sales meetings, balancing the books, doing lesson plans, and earning a pay check. We look back at the dreams we once had wistfully.
One of my dreams is to be an inspirational writer, to possibly create a bestselling NY Times book of some sort. This hasn’t always been a dream of mine, however. In my youth, I dreamed of winning the Masters as a golfer or striking out Frank Thomas as a Major League Baseball pitcher. I don’t recall dreaming of being the next Michael Lewis as a kid. But, I do remember an interest in writing something great and taking pride when I had done so.
I love it when something I have written resonates with a reader. I’m even happier when my writing helps them address a problem. As a kid, I loved writing about personal stories and even mastering persuasive arguments with prose. Today, I have no clue if I’m on the path to writing a bestselling novel. I do know to even have a shot at this dream, I have to write a lot.
I also know that I have to write about things that interest me. Isn’t this how dreams work? They start with an interest. Then we make a commitment to explore that interest. Yes, there will be major obstacles along the way. Yes, you will need luck. And yes, you will need the support of friends and family just like Olympians do.
Remember, going after your dreams takes courage. It starts with an interest, regardless of where you are in life.
Write down your interests today and explore how to catalyze them.
A Tip - Inventory Your Interests
We just talked about kick starting your dreams wherever you are in life. You might be asking, “How?” Dreams start with interests, not strengths. Many career focused counselors might suggest to start with your strengths. Strengths are important, but interests will keep you exploring over time and building strengths. Strengths are nothing more than a collection of skills that have been honed over time. Interests guide the further collection of skills and provide the passion of pursuit.
You might ask, “How do I inventory my interests?” I start with a simple three step process involving self reflection, informational interviews and interest tests, and a little codification.
Step 1 - Reflection
Carve out an hour of ‘you time'. Grab your favorite beverage. Find your best thinking space. Make sure you have a notebook. List out at least ten things you really like to do, industries you find fascinating, or products and services you love. For example, I love wine, cycling, golf, debating ideas, writing, talking about work challenges, politics, Legos, movies, and travel.
Step 2 - Third Party Input
Next, look beyond yourself. Two ways to do that are asking other people or taking a career interest test. Do one or both. Then you can overlay them, compare and contrast the similarities and differences. I’ve done both in my career.
First, speak with others. Select 5 people you know well but are relatively unbiased. This can be tough. Be sure to ask more people than just your parents or spouse. Their opinions aren’t wrong or bad, per se. They just care a lot and have more of a vested interest in your success.
Ask them a simple question: From your vantage point, what interests me? This might be tough for them to answer. If needed, clarify by asking, “Are there specific subjects or topics I appear to be more excited than others to discuss?” Listen carefully. They may tell you your strengths. Or, they may say, “Your passion rings through when you discuss X.”
Second, you can take a career interest test. I’ve taken the Jackson Vocational Interests Survey and the Holland Code Career Quiz (Truity offers a stripped down edition). Each one provides a starting point for career and job types that likely fit your personality type. You are asked a series of questions regarding how much you like or dislike specific tasks.
Step 3 - Code Them
Some interests should remain remain hobbies. I like wine. In fact, I have my intro sommelier certification. But, after trying out the wine business, I decided it wasn’t for me. While tasting, classifying, and selling wine seams glamorous, I worried about drinking too much wine.
So, take your interests and circle the ones you think could be an interesting profession. This will merely be the starting point for you to develop a networking list.
A Read - Summon Atlas’s Strength to Bust Through Obstacles; Achieve Your Dreams
Last week, I offered up ten reads you should consider. One I highly recommend is The Obstacle is The Way, by Ryan Holiday. Holiday offers up a formula and a collection of short stories to inspire you. His main point is that the path to true accomplishment is going straight through the obstacle, not avoiding it. How often do we ignore our dreams because the perceived obstacles appear insurmountable before we’ve even tried.
I routinely read this book before bed. The stories are helpful reminders on how to handle difficult situations. It isn’t easy.
Summing it Up
Remember to dream at any age. We don’t need to leave it to the Olympians. We need to make sure we have dreams that are rooted in our interests and find ways to bust through obstacles to achieve them. It’s not easy, but “c’est la vie!”
Since the last edition of The Jump, I posted my Career Adventurer Podcast interview with Dave Will, a serial entrepreneur and host of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) podcast. Dave talks about the power of walking slow and smiling more.
Thanks for reading The Jump! Like and Re-stack with you own thoughts to spread the word!
Paul G. Fisher