Turning What You Love into What You Do

Like many other aspects of life these days, career planning has also changed. However, many people still think of career planning in a linear paradigm. That is, they think it is a vertical pathway started by going to college. The linear approach is still happening in select careers/professions. However, the more common path to a career is a wavy, winding road filled with a wide assortment of career experiences. For many people, career planning is almost experimental. The result of this change is we need to have a new conversation about career and life planning.

The end goal of this conversation is to be happy. Adults spend most of their lives engaged in three activities: sleeping, leisure and work. For many adults, they will spend more time at work than either of the other two activities. And they will do it for a very long time. With people living longer, many young people today can expect an adult work life of 50 – 60 years! So, happiness at work is important to a happy life. The path to this happiness is to “turn what you love into what you do”.

“Turning What You Love into What You Do” is based on the Road Less Traveled (RLT) series appearing in aroundKent magazine (aroundkent.net). This concept can be delivered as a keynote address, a seminar or program to groups of employees, retirees, or adult learners. The author wrote the RLT of 16 successful people from a wide assortment of careers. There are 8 common career themes and 8 personal qualities that emerged from the Roads of the 16 subjects. Together their experiences form a playbook for navigating life and career and turning what you love into what you do. This playbook applies to almost anyone from those entering the workforce full time to those changing or returning to a career. The goal is to encourage a new conversation about thinking and planning for careers that leads to “turning what you love into what you do.”