Why do you do BLANK for a living?
Posted on 11 April 2007
I’ve been doing some philosophi-zing recently. Here’s something I’ve been thinking about in reference to my future:
Should a person spend his / her life:
- pursuing something they suck at but want to become more proficient? OR
- improving at something they’re already pretty good at?
What if Bill Clinton had chosen to become a professional saxophonist?
I think this is uber important. For example: I love playing tennis. But I suck pretty bad. I like web design. But I’m not that good at it. Should I get better in these areas because I dig them? Or should I find my forte and hone it to perfection? Yes I know a combination of the two is the best. But what if that’s not a choice? Then what?
This is especially crucial when picking a major in college…
Why are you doing what you do for a living?
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April 11th, 2007 at 6:20 am
Hm, I think you should do what you’re good at, and do what you suck at only for fun.
But hey, you could be the Michael Jordan of tennis. Then again so could I…
April 11th, 2007 at 6:25 am
So if by living you mean making money and by forte you mean easy. That equates to easy money. That is why I do blank for a living.
Sometimes doing what you love for a living ruins it. So it might be better to do what you love outside of work.
If an opportunity arises to do what you want for a living, give it a shot.
I do not think of college as picking what I want to do for a living. I think of it as learing how to learn.
What you learn in one area is not wasted in another if you understand that everything is relative. For instance understanding electricity and curcuits can make you a better tennis player if you understand relativity.
April 11th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Words of wisdom James. Your last few statements are very powerful, finding parallels between different situations is a great way to expedite the learning process.
April 11th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
I don’t think these options are mutually exclusive. If you’re already good at something, that means you used to suck at it and you practiced to get to where you are. If you aren’t good at something, that just means you haven’t improved yourself yet. In terms of what you should pursue, I think you’ve already answered that question many times in the past. Do what you are passionate about - right? That’s what you always tell us. Passion. If you try something out and realize you don’t like it (#2), then start over again with something new (#1). Hopefully in the end you’ll end up doing something you are good at AND want to become more proficient in. Did that make sense?
April 11th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
I think about this a lot too. It’s kinda depressing in a way though because in most likelihood you will never be the best at anything, meaning there is always someone else who will be better then you in your field.
Since I plan on becoming Batman, I’ll need to be proficient in everything rather than focusing on a single field :)
“An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a very narrow field.”
–Niels Bohr (1885-1962)
April 12th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
In high school I barley passed Trigonometry and even that’s only because my teacher passed everyone. I got an F in Pre-Calculus. Now in college I routinely score in the top 5% of my Engineering classes (well this semester has been an exception…) and I have only gotten one B in any University level Math class and I took way more Math than is even required by our EE department.
So to a certain extent if you really put your mind to it like I did, you can get better at things and excel in them even if you don’t have the natural ability. My first two years I was studying 1-2 hours per day, 6 days a week for my Math/Science classes. But at the same time you have to be realistic, I knew it could be done. I would love to be a Doctor but I know I can’t memorize things worth a damn so I never really even tried going down that path.
For me it’s been about finding something that will challenge me and push me but not stress me out. I think that’s where we do our best work.
April 13th, 2007 at 12:21 am
Why do I do what I do for a living? I think I am naturally better at more engineering-type fields (math, chemistry, physics, analytical thinking, problem-solving) rather than medical (memorization, biology) or public policy / social welfare (persuasion, speech and debate, politics). However, no offense to any of you all, but if I had to study math or electromagnetics for the rest of my life, I don’t know what I would do. I could be really good at my job but not necessarily if I don’t enjoy it. So if you go for something you’re good at but you don’t necessarily have any motivation for, I think it would be a lost cause.
Then again, if you do something you’re good at then you’re sorta playing your “role in society” and contributing to it more efficiently. You have to be pretty selfless to do this.
I know, you don’t want “a mix of both” to be the answer. SO I guess if I HAD to choose…
Should a person spend his / her life:
pursuing something they suck at but want to become more proficient?
April 13th, 2007 at 12:24 am
(continued)
it would be that one. (do something you suck at but WANT to become more proficient.)
Key word: want.
I’m assuming if you have the desire to do something, you’ll be more motivated and thus produce even more results (money, contribution to society, personal satisfaction, whatever floats your boat) than if you were doing something you’re just good at.
That’s basically what I’m doing, and why.
April 13th, 2007 at 9:23 am
I think the most important point is…are you happy doing “blank” for a living? Don’t get me wrong, money is sweet…but if it just kills your soul, then money can’t fix that problem, though I can think of fun things to do with it. I guess there’s the thought also that with the money (even if you hate your job) you’ll have to resources to do your real passions in life, i.e music, etc. Work isn’t everything also, there’s family, friends, etc. I think there are outside factors to consider
Happiness=family+friends+that special someone+Job you are happy going to.
I also remember what another person said which might be an interesting thought: when he took me and other friends out to dinner one time in SF (bill was $300) “I work so I can do stuff like this.”
April 14th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Dude you are all awesome. I am inspired by all of your responses. You’re all PhDs of how-to-live your life in my book. ;)
Happiness=family+friends+that special someone+Job you are happy going to.
Jason, a great equation to live by.
“An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a very narrow field.”
–Niels Bohr (1885-1962)
I LOVE this quote. Don’t think I’ve seen it before, thanks for sharing Eric. Seriously, killer quote.
April 20th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Hey Tone,
Read the write-up and interview on Cultural Connect — pretty cool.
On the subject of doing-what-you-love-and-also-what-you’re-good-at, here’s a pitch I heard from Goodnight Kiss:
#1. PUBLISHER CALL: CHINESE LANGUAGE (or English/Chinese) pop song/up
tempo/ youthful song needed by Thursday, Apr. 25. Also listening to
UP TEMPO world-beat songs, with positive lyrics. Anything about
challenges, overcoming fears, etc., desired, but will listen to other
lyrics (within finished song/track), as long as they are positive.
This is for an independent feature film. Put “CHI LNG POP” as your
subject line. HURRY HURRY HURRY! Mail to: Aliy ha nna @ a o l DOT c o
m (take out the spaces, put in the “dot.”)
Take care
-Tony from Canada
April 20th, 2007 at 10:28 am
I should have double checked the original post before copying it in. Apr 25 is a TUESDAY not a THURSDAY. You may want to email in advance anyway!
-Tony from Canada
August 12th, 2007 at 10:34 am
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