The author wasn't too far into his thirties when he wrote this book, which is a totally different life stage compared to someone in their fifties. I have an eye on retirement within the next decade which influences my work choices in all sorts of ways - a desire to keep feeding my pension pot, getting close to a very expensive stage of parenting as my eldest gets closer to going to university, a fear of starting at the bottom of the ladder again in a new career, having become used to a certain level of income after years of working towards that. However, I'll give Goins his due - I don't think that age gap was overly apparent in this book thanks to the research he's done and the wide spectrum of ages od people he interviewed for the book.

I liked the stages he suggests for finding your calling:

Awareness - be attuned to common threads that link big moments in your life.
Accidental apprenticeships - finding mentors in unlikely places and being open to things that cross your path that may not feel like obvious opportunities at the time.
Practice - being open to up-skilling and getting better at the thing that interests you.
Discovery - you don't necessarily have to take a big leap of faith. What about building small bridges that move you from A to B to C?
Pivoting - make failure your friend. Learn from mistakes. Figure out how to pivot.
Mastery - your new thing doesn't have to be the be all and end all of a new career; the rise of portfolio careers.
Legacy - how real job satisfaction comes from feeling good about what you are doing for the world, for other people.

These may all sound fairly obvious, but I did have a small-scale Nirvana moment of sorts when I read this book. I've been searching for a total 360 shift in career and instantly hitting mental roadblocks around how I could possibly make that work at this age. Perhaps the answer is smaller than that. Perhaps indeed it is about starting with building short bridges.

4.5 stars - motivating and thought-provoking. ( )

I have a love/hate relationship with the personal growth genre.

First the love: Along with other sources of wisdom, books have saved my life (made it worth living). Because of this I picked up Goins' book with open wonder; would he offer practical wisdom for finding my purpose or calling? This is an ongoing quest for me.

Goins commiserates with readers who think: I don't know my calling, and shares several stories to move us past that thinking. I felt less alone in my quest. He also referenced several writers with whom I resonate: Parker Palmer, Viktor Frankl, and Frederick Buechner. Occasionally, the chapter organization around the Seven Stages of finding your calling felt a bit stretched and illustrations a little off the mark. However, Jeff's engaging style drew me in.

Now the hate: this is not directly related to the content of the book -- it's more about my own issues. After explaining how one finds and lives a calling, Goins posits that:
1."When we talk about finding a calling we're not just seeking an activity. We're looking for an identity, an understanding of who we are. ...It is, in a way, a journey of becoming."
I love this honesty, I really do. But how do we understand who we are? Become our authentic selves? These answers are not included in the scope of this book.
2."To be called is not enough. You must become your calling, a choice that happens only if you make it. ...As with any journey, there is risk and danger, the likelihood of failure. And most would rather play it safe than be rejected by their friends or fall on their faces for the world to see. So they live lives of safety and relative obscurity, focusing on the things they enjoy and are praised for instead of daring to do something great. And time creeps by, taunting those who did not live."
Again, truth. But how do we embark on a journey of risk and danger? How do we move beyond lives tied to external incentives? Intrinsic motivation is something we all need to learn, but how? Schools don't cultivate it. Families seldom instill it.

Another sticking point: How does someone who has just cleared 30 speak with authority about finding a calling?

Even the points that distress me raise worthwhile questions. And I do love a writer who gets me thinking. So even in the hate, I found some love.



( )

3.5 stars - Wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, I think I was expecting more of a manual on how to get the most out of work. The book however was very motivational and inspires thought about the kind of work you do in your life. ( )

Love this book! ( )

Goins shows how everyday people discovered how to live a life that matters. He walks readers through the process of finding one's purpose, mission, joy, and ultimately living life to the fullest. Look closely at the wealthiest people in the world and the one's who are the happiest are not happy because of their wealth, but because of their accomplishments, their service to making life better for others, and because they matched their vocations with their skills, knowledge, and passion. If you haven't found your way to living a life that matters, read this book. It won't tell you what you were meant to do, but it will show you how to find your way toward it and recognize the opportunities that help you find it. ( )