Get Real about Your Work

Somehow we have lost our way when it comes to our work. Most of us may believe that it’s possible to enjoy delightful work, but how much of our work is actually delightful?

Woman in Field

Some feel that work can all be like play and others feel that some of it needs to be like work. That’s what I examined in this post, Work as Play? I keep changing my mind on that one but that’s not what I want to address in this post. Or do I?

First, I want to ask this question.

Why do we complicate the things that matter the most to us? Specifically, why do we needlessly complicate creating a life of delightful work? (If you’re thinking, “I don’t complicate having delightful work, it’s just that I ________ {fill in the blank}….” then that’s what I mean by complicating it. For example, having reasons why you don’t have a life of delightful work is “complicating” it.)

Is it because we fear the change so much that the complication is a defense to delay it?

Or do we really, deep down, not think that delightful work is possible for us?

Or, are we really that afraid of our own brilliance or of our unique success?

Do you agree that the answer to delightful work is found within? Then why do we look to others for answers? Aren’t we the better source of wisdom in our own lives? What fears arise in you when you examine the possibility of totally delightful work?

That raises another question. Is it really the happiness and fulfillment of delightful work that we want or is it freedom from having to work at all that most attracts us?

For example, I think it’s interesting that so many of us coaches and bloggers seek to develop streams of passive income. What’s that about? We could say that we just want our bliss to be shared with a larger audience, and there could be some truth to that. But let’s get real here. Let’s talk about what we hope to gain.

Do we really want to become Internet info-marketers? Not that there is anything wrong with that. But is that your passion? Are you seeking delightful work or the positional advantage of not having to work at all? If you’re really looking for a way to earn money from not being physically present, is this an objective or an evasion? Is the work that we do so uninspiring that we are driven to develop ways of evading it?

I only pose these difficult questions because I’m asking them of myself right now.

Let’s dig deeper and get real about our work. Perhaps we could take a deep breath and start fresh with our examination?

In our work we ought to experience as much joy as we possibly can. Can we agree on that as a starting point? In my welcoming message I wrote: Delightful work is: amusing, attractive, captivating, clever, engaging, enjoyable, fascinating, gratifying, luscious and thrilling. Captivating, engaging, enjoyable and fascinating! That’s how I’d like to work more often. Here’s a confession. I write about delightful work and not all of my work is delightful. But whose responsibility is that? It certainly can’t be anyone else’s but mine.

I already do enjoy the freedoms that I care the most about, the freedoms of self-expression and self-determination.

The freedom of self-expression allows us to openly say whatever we want about our work. The freedom of self-determination is enjoying the option to be completely at choice as to when, how, with whom, where and on what you work. It is even the freedom of choosing whether to work or not.

Is this drive to develop info-marketing products really our way of seizing the freedom of self-determination? Does this really mean that we want to be free from the obligation of work? Do we really want to be free to choose whether or not we work at all? It’s really interesting to see what remains when we completely remove money and its accompanying self-created pressures from the equation. If you did that, what would remain?

Would your work life look different than it does now?

How specifically would it look different?

What would you immediately drop? Add?

What would you do more off? Less off?

Would you be working more or less? Would you be working at all?

Would you still be trying to build your opt-in list, sell your eBooks and become a successful info-marketer? Or, if money were no longer an issue, would you even care about that anymore?

What would be the central theme of your work? Why don’t we find out?

Excellent, then let’s do an exercise to remove the need for money completely from our work and see what remains.

You’ll need your imagination, a timer, blank paper and a pen or pencil. Set the timer for four minutes and start it when cued to do so. Get that stuff and come back to reading. It will be well worth your while. Ready?

Here’s the scenario. Imagine you’ve received a registered letter from a venture capital investment firm. They represent a large conglomerate that wants to buy the complete rights to an original idea of yours. There is no negotiation. They are offering you 3.7 million dollars. As you read on, you see that there is a catch in the form of some very peculiar terms. The letter will self-destruct within four minutes and the offer will be withdrawn – unless you complete an exercise exactly as instructed. You are being asked to open an envelope and as you do your four minutes will begin.

In the envelope is one instruction. You must write down the whole truth about the work you intend to do once the issue of money is gone. Tell the truth and the money is yours. Otherwise you get zip. Ready? Pick up your pencil and start the timer.

First you may have been tempted to fix a few other things in your life. But after you purchased the home and car, after you traveled the world, after you were generous with charities, friends and family. Now what? What about your work?

What did you write? How will your work be different? I’m betting that your answers are more real than the work you are now doing. I’ll share my answers in the first comment and I’d be honored if you share yours as well.

The bad news is that no one is waiting to offer you 3.7 million dollars. The good news is that you now have a blueprint to follow to do the work you were meant to do. By doing so, you have raised the probability of making your work delightful and of earning your own 3.7 million dollars. The only question is this: Will you use this blueprint or will you go back to following your fears instead of your own inner wisdom?

Will you please honor yourself and do this exercise? Will you honor yourself (and all of us) even further by commenting and sharing what you actually came up with?

In case you’re wondering, I found the writing of this post to be completely delightful.

Comments

  1. With the issue of money totally removed I would write more, create more and take more shots bringing my wild ass ideas to fruition. I would produce and facilitate live events that were celebrations of originality and creativity. I would set up a micro-investment foundation to encourage authentic vocations and create fellowship. Together we would make the world a more fulfilling and happier environment by inspiring all to be paid very well just for being themselves.

  2. This is one of the best articles I’ve read in a long time. Kudos to you Tom for being authentic and getting real.

    Here’s what I wrote:

    My work is to play. To be excited and inspire others with my ideas. Sharing that how you feel is most important and basing your emotions on truth. Sharing with others and being inspired! Communicating and connecting deeply, sharing my love.

    You know you’re absolutely right, much of our work is focused on the avoidance of it. We avoid work because we’re making it into this big scary beast. “Work is hard, it’s not fun.” “Work is called work for a reason.”

    It doesn’t have to be like that. Let’s get inspired and inspire others. =)

    Jonathan Meads last blog post..Recover Your Personal Freedom With The Four Agreements

  3. Frank a big dose of gratitude back to you. That was quite a tipping point. You managed to come with all of that in four minutes – it must have been bubbling up just waiting for the right poke! Your vision my friend, is extremely inspiring. I especially like the way you even visualized how your messages will be received. Good show!

    Jonathan I can feel your love brother and I’m so proud of you for fearlessly expressing it. Yes your work can be all about your ideas uplifting and inspiring others! I truly appreciate the recognition as well. Sometime we think we have written well but until that’s confirmed by another we wonder. Or at least I have in the past. This post couldn’t stay within me. 🙂 Thanks for your realization that work needn’t be a chore. You are already inspiring us.

    Tom Volkar / Delightful Works last blog post..Get Real about Your Work

  4. Dear Tom,

    I loved this exercise! It was fun and revealing. Here’s what I wrote, unedited:

    I will write and speak and teach what I know. I know a lot at this stage of my life and it excites me to share that knowledge with as many people as possible. Since I don’t have to worry about money, I can relax and just go about what I do with freedom and passion. I do it because this knowledge is my personal life signature. It’s what I think about all the time. I want my signature out there because what I know can also be known by others and they can become more confident and productive and enjoy their own delightful work more than ever. This thought makes me smile.

    Tom, I don’t know how you come up with this stuff, but keep it coming. Thanks, Dorothy

  5. Great article, Tom! Very timely for me, because I’m having a truly delightful workday. Really – I’ve caught myself skipping through my house on several occasions today.

    Your post made me reflect on what made today so delightful. Today, I got to coach a little bit, and I’m doing a reading later on. I enjoy both. What made today special was that I had time to – are you ready? – create an information product!!!

    Namely, it’s a new course for my Soul Realignment Practitioners. I love teaching SO much. Writing and teaching for me are the same thing. Both unlock knowledge I never knew I had, and I love the flow of creativity. It’s just so juicy!

    However, teaching something more than once or twice – well, it just doesn’t have the same joy to it. So I turn my classes and courses into information products, sometimes after I teach them live, and sometimes straight to product. It’s not about the passive income (although, I won’t lie, that part is nice) but about the creativity.

    So – with the self-destruct ticking away, I would have to say more time to write and create classes and courses. I do not like travel – I like teaching via teleclasses, books, and audio CD’s, or coaching on the phone. So basically, I guess my work would look exactly like it does now, except I’d be much smarter about how I schedule my time.

    I am recognizing that I have NOT put myself fully in charge of my schedule. There’s no reason I can’t have this every day. Duh! Thanks for this!

    Still skipping,
    Andrea

  6. Karen Lynch says

    Hi Tom,
    I’ve often thought of this very thing (not the exercise per se but the ‘delightful’ work, I’ve written much about my career changes on my blog)
    I first intuition was just that I would write and I would write and then when it came time to go do something else I would write some more. But I would write what I love and what pleases me and not worry as to whether or not anything became of it….

    I’d also love to do more art in many different forms…watercolor, mosaics, clay, stained glass, fiber arts……

    And I would have a magnificent garden…..

    (and someone else would come in 2x per week and clean my house and do my laundry!)

    Actually I must admit that I’m pretty close to having delight most of the time……I am blessed and I really know it….I clearly remember the days of hating my work but thinking I made too much money to quit but not enough to ever be happy! Sooo grateful that those days are past now!

    Karen Lynchs last blog post..The Family Dance

  7. Hi Tom,

    Thank you for another fine contribution!

    Coaching, yoga and writing are my livelihood. I am combining these truths to inspire unconventional women to get their groove back and create a luscious – well balanced life. I will attract and play with my target market by creating interesting blog posts, podcasts, tele-classes, retreats, books and my yummy proprietary blend of organic tea.

    Writing this comment makes me smile because I am in the process of creating the business of my dreams.

    In Balance,

    Shann

  8. Barbara Swafford says

    Hi Tom,

    I love posts that make me think, and yours did just that.

    I started blogging for two reasons. One…to share all I have learned over the years (and continue to learn) with others, and two, to earn an income with blogging so my husband could retire from our business. (He’s worked so hard all of his life, I would love to see him relax more and enjoy all life has to offer).

    Blogging took me on a path of it’s own. I now find so much joy in writing/sharing, the money aspect went by the wayside. A new found passion was born.

    If money was no object, I do know I would continue to write, share and make every effort possible to leave this world a better place.

  9. Tom,

    Your post proves that synchronicity works! Yesterday I had the thought of consulting an intuitive I’ve worked with before, to discuss my current career angst. Then you emailed me about this post and I felt such amazement at your questions. I told you that I’d do the exercise in the evening when I returned home. Before I got home I had a huge epiphany about my work and felt tremendous relief and energy around it.

    However, I did set my timer and did the exercise. I discovered several key things:
    – I’d write more books if I didn’t have to worry about marketing and selling them. Heck, I’d just write more period.
    – I’d eventually discontinue real estate investing (not gratifying for the spirit);
    – I’d continue to faciitate groups, serve on volunteer boards and find more opportunities to inspire through different forms of my own self-expression.
    – I experienced relief in just reminding myself that my job is to put my own expressions out there period, and to see that I am having fun in real estate investing when I facilitate groups and use my skills to benefit others.

    Deb Calls last blog post..Greatness – Beyond Abstraction

  10. Tom, I love this one…

    If I had 3,7 million, I wouldn’t “work” at all; I would play. I would want to be able to live in the moment at all times and the money would enable me to do just that. I would live in a spiritual retreat centre on the beach and help others find their own paths, but not in any particular setting or time frame such as in a workshop. My “job” would be to create, coordinate and organize workshops, etc., but I would not be giving them, simply because I find it increasingly difficult to stick to any kind of time schedule. I want to celebrate being and follow the moment and my intuition at all times.

    I love talking with people (and have found that I am most helpful when I am fully in the moment and let my words flow of their own accord). I love writing and would finally write that novel. Also create more visual art. This would be interspersed with taking dips in the ocean, sipping lot’s of cappucinos and indulging in other healthy pleasures.

    Hmm… I’m halfway there already… hand me that 3.7 million… 🙂

    Louise Pools last blog post..Birthday Present to Myself: Quit Smoking

  11. If I took money out of the equation. I would develop the website without worrying about success. I would write books and talk to companies throughout the world trying to bring my message to them. I don’t have the resources to do such things, so I try to bring as much value as I can and hopefully I will get paid for it.

    That’s the key for me, getting paid for my message. I know, I know. We are talking about pulling money out of the equation, but I want to make one point. Money helps determine if my message is worthy of an audience. If no one is willing to pay me then I’m not giving enough value.

    When I’m wealthy and I don’t need the money and people want to hear me speak then I probably will do a lot of pro bono work to help companies that couldn’t afford my services.

    Karl Staib – Your Work Happiness Matterss last blog post..We All Want to Go Where Everyone Knows Our Name

  12. Dorothy what makes you smile is very good for the world. The world needs your deep gladness to be expressed. I like what you said about teaching what you know. A could question to ask is this. What do I know that others usually don’t? Or, what are all the things I know about this topic that are not common knowledge. Start there and make your offers.

    Andrea I would have bet that among my regular readers you would have been most likely to share that you are already working in that beautiful vein of fulfillment and delight. That’s an excellent realization regarding your schedule. Yes you are in charge and you can lay it out exactly as you like. Keep skipping. 🙂

    Shann that’s a wonderful affirmation. You are indeed in the process of creating your dream business. I like the way you have identified the many varied interests that you have. There is absolutely no reason why you cannot weave them all together to craft the ideal business for you.

    Tom Volkar / Delightful Works last blog post..Get Real about Your Work

  13. Barbara thanks for sharing your blog’s purpose. I too have reaped much more joy from blogging than I expected to. You are already serving many with your blog and I’ll bet by continuing to do so you will see the opennings to get the cash stream flowing as well.

    Deb that’s some powerful movement from angst to epiphany. What you say about putting your authentic expression out there is so important. You amy even want to explore group facilitation for fee. Is there a fun and light way you could do that?

    Karen I’m encouraging you to express yourself through your art more right now. As you most likely know there is always a next small step we can take to express more authentically and get us a little closer to pure delight.

    Louise so you’d just play, would you? Living in the moment and just following your whims does sound like a luscious way to create. Halfway there is pretty darn close; I’m happy for you. 🙂

    Karl your comment on money is right on as it exposes money for what it is – a unit of measure. I understand what you mean; even though money isn’t our sole determinant of value it carries so much emotional weight that we make it so. Are you speaking now? That can be done without spending money.

    Tom Volkar / Delightful Works last blog post..Get Real about Your Work

  14. Andrea, I just want you to know, that knowing you’re skipping through the house has just made my day. =)

    Jonathan Meads last blog post..Recover Your Personal Freedom With The Four Agreements

  15. I haven’t given any talks yet, but I’ve contacted a few HR groups here in Austin. I haven’t followed up yet. I need to be a little more diligent.

    Karl Staib – Your Work Happiness Matterss last blog post..The Google Slide

  16. Thanks Tom– this article was, well, delightful! But seriously, we need joy and excitement in our lives…when we follow the joy in our work we attain meaning and fulfillment…and it a beautiful thing to happen! keep up the great work,
    todd

    Todds last blog post..24 Hours Of Living ‘In The Flow’

  17. I was struck with timothy Ferris’ book, “The Four Hour Work Week”. The ideas were great but the real key to me was his final thoughts – “What will you do with the other 36 hours?”
    That motivated me to write “How To Earn A Six Figure Income With A Two-hour Work Week”.
    I began with the question, “What will you do with the other 38 hours?”
    That is exactly the question that Tom is asking – “What is really important beyond survival in your life?”. Rather than call it work, I like to call it your life mission. Why are you really here? How do you want to interact with this world while you are here?
    It will probably contain elements that other people call work. But you might call it play. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:
    “A master in the art of living makes little distinction between work and play, between labor and leisure, between love and religion. Hardly knowing which is which, a master is always doing both.”

  18. Clem Gigliotti Jr. says

    HA! My first line? “I won’t be doing any work at all!”

    Is it merely my knee-jerk reaction to not HAVING to work for financial reasons that leads me to automatically want to abandon work completely? Maybe…but I’m not so sure. I found that I want to do more things to cultivate personal relationship…with family and friends…the areas I ignored in the years when work pretty much consumed my existence. I found that the things I would definitely do, relative to work, are those aspects of my current work that are social in nature and allow me to spend time with people I enjoy being around.

    And everything else relative to the work I do? I’m at choice in all of it. I do it when I want and when I feel inspired to do so. And if the inspiration doesn’t find me, I enjoy spending time with me.

    Clem Gigliotti Jr.s last blog post..What Websites and Email Addresses Say about your Credibility

  19. Shilpan|successsoul.com says

    Tom,

    I’m already doing what I love to do – blogging. So, if I get my 3.7 mil or not, I have my answer ready. To find passion, one shall ask, would I do what I’m doing now if money is not an outcome of my efforts? I’ve stumbled your post.

    Thanks
    Shilpan

    Shilpan|successsoul.coms last blog post..How to Live a Recession-Proof Life

  20. Tom,

    I really feel like this concept is what had me start my coaching/consulting practice in the first place. I had to ask myself whether I was just avoiding the question, but I thought about it and I’m not. When I started Verve Coaching, I asked myself what I’d want to do in the world if money weren’t a concern, and I’m doing exactly that.

    For me, it has to do with awakening a fundamental belief in myself and others that it is actually possible to make a difference in the world, and that we are all capable of doing so.

    Taking money completely out of the equation, I want to be a voice for my generation, and for a sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous direction for society.

    If I didn’t have to keep some of my attention on making money, I’d probably find more opportunities to work with other people, through live workshops and trainings that I design and facilitate. I’ve done some of this already, but not enough.

    I’d probably get to work on writing my first book, too!

    Thanks,
    Erek

  21. Tom,

    Thanks for this amazing post. Today’s been a day of resistance, and just “not feeling like it.” I remain inspired by what has been with me for as long as I can remember – which is discovery and inspiration, then passing it on via healing sessions, transformational retreats, writing, and sharing my music & songs.

    If I had 3.7 million, then after a 2 month break where I could just “be,” instead of so much doing, I would be very likely to keep doing those things I love – mingling in groups, helping others heal and see the good in themselves. I care so much about giving others a leg up, because I need one so badly myself.

    In the past, I have despaired deeply at times, but have been afraid to admit it and ask for the help I need. I’ve set impossibly high standards and goals, and then crushed myself with my own disappointment.

    I recently admitted on a stage in front of 75 people, that I have trust issues with everyone, most notably, myself. How will I stand and take action to help others? Is it believable that I can help others move out of pain and into their own greatness?

    My heart says it must be, because I have done it so many times, and that my experience on both sides of this is bound to be useful. I do live in my greatness at times, and it is so beautiful when that happens.

    What stops me from doing that right now, without money, and from a very precarious financial point in my life? Fear is the name of this game, and something still unnamed, call it the “why-bother-saboteur.”

    I know this too, will pass. I have not forgotten how it feels on the other side of this. In the moment I tried the exercise, all that came out was that I am sick and tired of action, of living in warrior mode for the last 3 years. I’d like to reconnect to the Divine Feminine in me, and so this will become my starting point.

    What would Goddess do? She will answer that in her own good time – until then, I live in Mystery.

    Kays last blog post..Go From No, to Now

  22. Karl there are many organizations looking for interesting speakers and one gig usually leads to another. Start with the service cli ubs and local associations. They’d love to have you and it’s a good way to build blog readership as well.

    Peter those are a very inspiring questions and quite the title. I’d like to see your answers. I find the life mission or calling develops over time as long as we are engaging in work that brings us alive.

    Todd yep lots of joy and excitement in our work leads to us being eager for work. When we have eagerness we lose ourselves in our work and of course then it no longer feels like and obligation.

    Shilpan thank you for the Stumble! I can tell that you are a very fulfilled and enthusiastic blogger. Your question is central to my post. Remove the money and or the need for it and see what remains that we would want to do.

    Erek this is good stuff. “For me, it has to do with awakening a fundamental belief in myself and others that it is actually possible to make a difference in the world, and that we are all capable of doing so.” It’s the capability that so many get stuck on. For some reason they more believe their self-doubt. I’m glad I have a fellow warrior coach leading the charge to strong inspired self-confidence!

    Clem that is a very admirable answer. In fact it’s the same as most responses people give for the deathbed question. The question goes like this. If you had 6 weeks to live what would you do with your time? People always choose reconnection and relationship building.

    Kay since I know you well and love you I’ll respond to this. You said, “What stops me from doing that right now, without money, and from a very precarious financial point in my life? Fear is the name of this game, and something still unnamed, call it the “why-bother-saboteur.” Why bother? Bother because the world needs your special brand of deep gladness. Why bother? Bother because you need to create a win for yourself so you can feel whole again. Bother because you’ll inspire others to care as well. Bother because you’ve been gifted with great talents to connect and cherish others and they need your example. Bother because you know you will at some point anyway so why not now? Of course this too will pass. It’s already in the midst of passing.

  23. Oh Tom,

    This was such an easy but fun exercise. I cheated!! I didn’t set a timer or have the paper ready, but still, I knew my answer immediately:

    I would write and create products about all the career-related stuff I have learned over all these years – which is substantial and significant and deserves a wider audience – and then I’d use that money to pay somebody a bundle to market the heck out of my products.

    This would continue my steam of income ad infinitum (even after I die, what a great inheritance for my daughter!) so I could take a couple hours each day to read my Bible and pray, as well as take care of kids for emergency foster care.

    I would totally remove myself from all internet technology except for email and internet research. I’d stop doing my pain-in-the-butt Constant Contact e-newsletter. Oh that feels good to say! (sorry Bill W – you do a great job but I still have to write the darn thing!) I’d paint, I’d write, I’d create beautiful mosaics, I’d garden, I’d fly to visit people and places I don’t have the time or money to see now.

    Thank you for this freeing exercise, Tom. What it made me realize is that although I am doing love I absolutely love, (a) maybe I could actually pay my way through all the e-commerce stuff I dread and (b) there are many other things I am good at and would love to spend (more) time doing. Thanks for helping me with these thoughts.

  24. Chris it sounds like the answers did simply bubble up for you. That tells me that you are right on. That tells me like many of us, perhaps you needn’t wait any longer to do things things that you love. Expanding possibilities do come to us all the way to manifestation, when we simply consider them. Stay with your strengths – they are considerable.

  25. Hello Tom,

    Thanks for the inspiring and insightful comments, I just had to jump in on the dialogue!

    I love my work deeply; it excites me and I am passionate about what I do, consulting, coaching, writing and teaching, and even the everyday tasks to keep everything on track.

    For me, however, the delightful work concept extends to not just what I do, but WHERE I do it. If it is with my laptop on a nature trail, with my phone on the beach, or with notepad in a bubblebath; or even with my voice recorder on my bicycle, now that is real delight.

    Today’s world makes this possible like never before. If I have found a patch of sunlight from which to do my work, everyday becomes bliss instead of the mundane or repetitive, and every moment has a positive setting that anchors the task.

    Maria

  26. Maria your comment speaks volumes for the importance of choosing a delightful environment for our work. The right environment can stimulate our work and pull us along with it. Yes we are blessed to have the flexibility to work were we want to these days. It’s an essential component of enjoying the freedom of autonomy.

  27. Maria,

    You are so right on with your observations about environment. When I had to move temporarily to this middle-of-nowhere place where I am currently living, I initially thought it would be a fun adventure and I was excited. But moving into a remote coal town in February ended up being dreary and depressing. For 40 days I was depressed! And then the depression lifted, and I suddenly began seeing things around me that I had never seen before or or had been annoyed by rather than appreciating them. Like the tugboats on the river and the trains that pass by this house. Like the pig and rooster that live two houses away. Like the people who have lived here all their lives and have funny little stories to tell (like the time last year when 3 drunk college students abandoned their car on the train tracks just before the train hit it and blasted it into a woman’s house at 1 am!). I’ve even made up a slide show about all my wacky memories from living here!

    The impact this environment has had on me has been tremendous, and I realized that the moment I adjusted to it, my business picked up in an instant. To say nothing of my mood, ha ha.

    And in about 2 months, I’ll be moving into our house back in our old neighborhood, and that will be another adjustment! The house is being totally renovated and added on to, and will only be 1/4 done when we move in, so I’ll try to remember this discussion so that I don’t allow my environment to drive my mindset or my business!

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