Do you jump out of bed in the morning, fired up and excited to get to work? Are you inspired and fulfilled in your career? I’d guess most people say no to at least one of these. Wouldn’t it be nice to say yes? Or to have something that made you feel fired up and alive? Well, Cathy Heller’s book Don’t Keep Your Day Job: How to Turn Your Passion Into Your Career can help you find your thing. (Or love your current thing more.)
I discovered Cathy Heller when Ruth Soukup interviewed Cathy Heller on her podcast (the Do It Scared podcast) and I loved the interview so much I googled her when it was over. It turned out she had her own podcast and would eventually write a book of the same name.
Don’t quit your day job…or at least not yet…
Don’t Keep Your Day Job: How to Turn Your Passion Into Your Career does not advocate quitting your day job and hoping for the best. It does, however, offer inspiration and encouragement for people who are unhappy in what they do for a living. Whether it means starting your own business or finding a way to make your current career more fulfilling.
It is also useful for people just looking to find a little more meaning in life, to do something that brings them joy, to pursue hobbies and passion projects, and those childhood dreams that may have gotten buried along the way to adulthood.
This is definitely a book for people unhappy with their career looking to make their own way. It offers a pathway from figuring out what you might want to do for a living, to making that happen. But it’s also for people who feel like they’ve been playing small or missing out on something.
Find your runway…
If you are unhappy and want to find a new career or figure out what to do with your life, the book offers a ton of practical tips. It includes a five-step “runway” from where you are now to where you want to be.
Cathy Heller suggests five steps: play around with what makes you happy, learn about the possibilities out there and the tools available to help you make next steps, evaluate how your work might fit with the world, envision yourself as the person you are on your way to becoming (this step is so important) and execute. Make it happen. Maybe just a little at first.
A couple of chapters are definitely geared towards people who are looking to forge a career path. But I think they’re interesting enough to read even if you love your job and want to retire there. They’re interesting and they might help you if you’re looking to be a little more creative or find a hobby.
“The opposite of depression is not happiness. The opposite of depression is purpose.”
This is my favorite quote by Cathy Heller because I think it’s so true. I know plenty of people who aren’t depressed but aren’t exactly happy either.
Another quote from the book: “Most people reach their forties and find themselves walking from the parking lot to the elevator feeling like something is missing.” Can you relate? Or do you know someone who feels like this? It doesn’t have to just be chalked up to a “mid-life crisis.”
Sometimes it’s a period of life that wakes us up to a transition, sometimes it’s a big life event.
What happened to wanting a dream job?
We’re raised to grow up and get responsible “day jobs” that give us benefits and security. Success is equated with money and things more than happiness. And there comes a point where it’s not really ok to “dream” anymore. Creativity is ok for some people, but not the rest of us.
(And if you’re not happy with your job? Well, just put your head down and make the best of it because you don’t have to enjoy it, you just have to do it. There will be plenty of time to be happy in retirement.)
So this book is refreshing as it is about looking for what makes you happy and excited, what brings you joy. Cathy Heller, in her book and on her podcast, offers a place to dream big again.
Whether you use what you get from this book to find a new career or job or just use it to find a little more joy and purpose in life, it’s worth reading.
Plus, the stories in the book are amazing…
-a vegan woman from Nigeria who turned her passion into a full-time profession.
-a potter who started out small and ended up with two stores and selling his designs in Pottery Barn
-a guy who worked in a factory had a craving for cheesecake and ultimately became a baker, opening up his own store
-a woman who worked in advertising woke up after losing a friend at a young age to cancer and realized how unhappy she was; she now makes greeting cards with meaningful messages and has an extraordinary business doing what she loves
-filmmakers, actresses, writers, podcasters
Even if you’re not sure what it is that you’re meant for or called to do, sometimes you just need to follow a path and see where it takes you.
“You surrender the how
by staying aligned with the opportunities or ideas
that most excite you, and things start to line up.”
-Cathy Heller
Cathy Heller sums up Martha Beck’s book Finding Your Own North Star (another great book worth reading) in this quote: “If there’s something that you really hate and it makes you physically sick and it makes you want to stab yourself in the eye with a fork, you could do a little less of it. If there’s something that makes you extremely happy and makes you alive with energy and fills you with light, do it.”
So what could it mean to you?
My takeaway for people who are not in love with their job: Explore what’s out there. Don’t default to what society has in store for you. Be responsible- do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do. But make time for the things that bring you joy, keep your dreams alive (or wake them back up if they’ve been sleeping since college), and be willing to be uncomfortable. It’s good for you.
For people who are ok with their job, but maybe a little uninspired: Make time for a hobby or for creative things. If you don’t feel like you’re a creative person, maybe you just haven’t found your thing yet. Try new things, go outside your comfort zone.
For people who want to do something, but feel like they’re not good at anything: “It seems to me that the main thing holding everyone back is this overwhelming need to do something perfectly or not do it at all.” (-Cathy Heller)
You don’t have to be awesome at something to do it. Lots of amazing people sucked at what they were doing for a long time before they were amazing. Be willing to be messy and imperfect.
For people who don’t think it’s realistic or possible: “We have access to more opportunities and tools than ever before in human history. We’re incredibly well positioned to turn our passions into professions.” (-Cathy Heller)
So I think this book is a must-read! And for me, it’s even a read-again!
I want a job that makes me happy- is that crazy?
So definitely check out this book. It’s inspiring and easy to read and interesting and will give you lots to think about…
If you love your job, you might be inspired to do something new there or to find a hobby that you love. If you hate your job, don’t have a job, or are unsure what to do next, it might help you figure that out. Or at least open your eyes to the possibilities out there…
Do you love your job? Hate your job? Do you feel like you have it all figured out? Or do you share that uncomfortable “I don’t know what I wanna be when I grow up” feeling? I’d love to hear from you!
(For more great books read this post, My 5 Favorite Personal Development Books)
P.S. You can check out Cathy Heller on her website: cathyheller.com. You’ll find links to her book and podcast!
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