Have you ever wanted to change careers, but didn’t know where to start? Ken Coleman’s book, From Paycheck to Purpose: The Clear Path to Doing Work You Love, offers a route to getting off your butt and doing something about your aspirations.
Coleman was running a small business but hated it. He wanted to do something more in line with his skills and personality. But he felt stuck. He had two kids, a marriage, and a mortgage to think about. He wondered if his only escape was to just keep dreaming.
Coleman always loved performing and thought he’d make a great broadcaster. Instead of indulging in his fantasy with more daydreaming, he decided to start taking steps toward his outlandish vision.
He started small. A course at a local college. A podcast. A short time slot on a regional Saturday morning call-in show. He kept building momentum, using the connections he made to gradually up his game. There were a lot of setbacks and embarrassments. But, after years of building, he finally made his dream a reality. He is getting paid to host his own show at Ramsay Solutions!
Coleman delivers a ton of solid advice on getting started down a career path more in line with what you want out of life.
His most important advice: get started!
By getting started, your vision will start to come into focus.
For example, you may have the romantic idea of running your own vineyard. But, unless you’ve actually worked at one, you wouldn’t know about the backbreaking labor involved. Do you enjoy shoveling manure and fending off critters who destroy your grapes? Before committing to the path, test out your idea. Ask a local vineyard if you can work nights and weekends to get a feel for the business.
Getting started can be as simple as talking with people in the industry you’re interested in. Talk to a dozen people in the industry. Take notes. Learn the good and the bad. Volunteer to do free work. Let people know about your objective.
You’ll gain clarity as you continue to make forward momentum.
Coleman has a ton of specific advice, but here are the key takeaways: get started, learn out loud, make connections, and keep moving forward.
Originally published at aaronolson.blog.
