How To Answer Your Call In Mid-Life

Hank Bochenski's story proves it is never too late to walk away from a life you feel trapped in and do something that you really love.

Hank spent 30 years in demanding senior positions at large high-tech companies. By the time he went home each day, he felt like all the blood had been drained out of him.

Hank's real passion was his collection of more than 1,000 movies. He had recently spent hours converting the collection from VHS to DVD, a process he enjoyed. One day his wife walked by as he worked on this project and said, "It's too bad you can't make money doing this." Before his wife's offhand remark, he hadn't considered that he could do this full time.

He did some research and found a company called Home Video Studio Inc., in Indianapolis. HVS offers 21 services, including DVD transfers, DVD duplications, home movie transfers, photo-video keepsakes, sports scholarship videos and videotape repair.

Hank and his wife did some due diligence and decided that this was a perfect opportunity for them and they went ahead and got into the video duplication business. And to top it all off, Hank's studio is in his own home--no more 1.5-hour each way daily commute.

What Happens in Mid-Life?

Mid-life is a time of challenges and crossroads. Often we re-evaluate our relationships, become more concerned about our health or worry about whether we are as financially secure as we should be. The biggest challenges in mid-life often involve our careers, and more centrally, whether our careers are providing the fulfillment we crave, or are simply exhausting us physically and emotionally. In mid-life, fulfillment and meaning begin to compete with paychecks and perks, and the paycheck and perks usually win.

Answering the Call to Vocational Passion

Before you can take action to change the course of your life and pursue your vocational passion, it is critical to take an inventory of your life and what is really important. You must begin by understanding what is missing. You need to have a dream and a plan for achieving it.

Start by making a list of the things that are missing in your life. Is it a passion from your youth that you can never find time to pursue? Is it music, a sport, writing, cooking, activism, entrepreneurship, working with kids? It doesn't matter, as long as it is something you long to do, and have enough passion to do it full time.

You need to understand not only where your passion is, but also where your strengths lie. Make a list of the things you are passionate about, and then narrow the list to those items that present an opportunity to generate income. An interest in rock climbing suggests opening a store that sells climbing equipment. Perhaps some past volunteer work with disabled kids leads to earning a certificate to teach full time.

Once you've narrowed your list and have matched your aptitudes and interests, it's time to take a good look at your support network. Do you know people who care about what you are passionate about? If not, what organizations or social networks could you tap into to build a better personal network to help you make your big vocational change?

Begin the Journey with a Lighter Backpack

Finally, you need to think about money--how it comes in and where it goes.

Treat your money with more respect. Making better choices in how you spend your money will make it easier to free yourself to change the direction of your life.

Examine ways to "lighten your backpack." Do you really need 100 cable channels? How many shoes, credit cards and watches does it take to make you happy? Would life be any more difficult if you drove a used Toyota instead of a brand new Lexus?

These are the kinds of questions that Hank Bochenski and his family asked themselves as they made the difficult but ultimately rewarding decision to "throw it all away" for a simpler yet more fulfilling lifestyle. Hank is much happier. He is having fun every day. And while his income may be more modest than before, his family is living comfortably. His pursuit of vocational passion has cost him little materially, yet the spiritual dividends have been immense.

About The Author

Craig Nathanson is The Vocational Coach? and the author of the new book, P Is For Perfect: Your Perfect Vocational Day by Bookcoach Press and the publisher of the free Ezine, ''Vocational passion in mid-life''. Craig believes the world works a little better when we do the work we love. Craig Nathanson helps those in mid-life carry this out! Visit his on-line community at http://www.thevocationalcoach.com

---

The Springtime of Your Career

Rick Jarow, author of Creating the Work You Love, introduced many of us to the notion of career seasons. When we're struggling with a career, we're most... Read More

Career Change - Is Your Career A Good Fit Or Is It Causing Pain?

Do you leap out of bed in the morning looking forward to the day ahead?Do you love your job and find that your working day goes past... Read More

Telecommuting Website (Part One)

"I've heard you talk about building a website to get telecommuting jobs. Can you tell me more about this, and how I would do it?"If you all... Read More

The Hidden Agenda of Interviews

It's Not What They Ask - The Hidden Agenda of InterviewsWhat do you think you're going to an interview for? To list your qualifications and discuss what's... Read More

Take the Personal Out of the Workplace: Leave Your Troubles at the Door!

Bringing your emotional baggage into the work place is inappropriate for all the reasons you may imagine. Yet employees, managers and business owners do it all the... Read More

Using Your Whine Factor

Brian's work was exceptional. Still, as his boss, I rarely offered him additional responsibilities, never thought of promoting him or selecting him for a critical... Read More

Your Cover Letter MUST Ask This Question

Imagine receiving a letter from a salesman who wants to sell you an exciting new widget. The letter focuses on all the reasons why this is such... Read More

Nine Ways to Tell Youre Ready for a Promotion

So you noticed the new job board posting on your way back from lunch. They finally decided to fill the assistant manager spot in your department! Trouble... Read More

The Big Mo : Momentum and the Hiring Process

Momentum as defined by Webster's is: strength or force gained by motion or through the development of events. For our purposes, the interview process is a "development... Read More

Make a Good Living Doing What You Love

Don't let anyone talk you into going to college when all you really want to do is be a chef or tear apart a car engine.Some times... Read More

Seminars: Why Are They Popular, and What Advantages/Disadvantages Are There to Attending One?

Seminars dealing with "special topics" have actually been around for decades, and are an older form of marketing and information exchanges, that have seen quite a resurgence... Read More

History Reports: When Your Resume Equals, I Did This, I Did This, I Did This

Do these sound familiar?"I worked for?" "My responsibilities were?" "My duties included?"Does a prospective employer care about what you "did for other companies"? Of course... Read More

Be Prepared for the Unexpected

How long has it been since you last had to search for a new job? These days it's not at all unusual to change careers or jobs... Read More

Effective Resume and Cover Letter Writing - Part One

To begin, make a decision to discard any former knowledge learned about the "rules" of resume and cover letter writing. People commonly become stuck in "bad" writing... Read More

From The WorkWise Collection: Ten Ways to Win the Job Search Mind Game

Are you one of the thousands of job seekers who question their sanity, marketability, and capacity to make smart decisions-just because you've lost your job? Are you... Read More

10 Major Signs of Job Dissatisfaction

The New Year is a great time to analyze your job and the satisfaction you get from doing it. Running the rat race is just that, scurrying... Read More

How To Conduct A Successful Job Search Campaign

1.Define your objective: Know what kind of work you most enjoy and perform the best. This requires self-evaluation, spending time looking at your interests and abilities. 2.Write... Read More

Job Search Advice for Desperate Job Seekers

Another morning of job hunting lies ahead of you. You pour a cup of coffee and open the paper to the employment section. With a mixture of... Read More

Avoiding Tire Kickers as Job Seekers

With the economy heating up and employment prospects opening up after years of dormancy, it is more critical than ever for employers to understand that unfortunately, career... Read More

How to Insure Job Security

The attorneys I coach have one common problem. They don't have enough hours in the day to do everything they need to do. Most are working long... Read More

Ten Healthcare Fields That Cant Wait To Hire You

Healthcare is one of the hottest career fields in America today. The aging and retiring of the largest population segment in the country, known as "baby boomers",... Read More

Career Strategy When Your Boss is a Bully

Q. Right after I accepted my new position, the manager who hired me quit. I now have a boss "Sam" who's a classic bully. He has most... Read More

Reinvent Yourself in a New Career

Some people reserve the word "vocation" for religious calling. Contemporary career guides encourage us to think of a "life purpose" that guides and gives meaning to a... Read More

Evaluating Job Offers -- Eleven Warning Signs You Must Watch Out For

Moving into a new job always involves some degree of uncertainty. You should do your best to find out all you can about a prospective employer, starting... Read More

You Should Interview the Interviewer, Too

I know what you are thinking. You're thinking, "Wait a minute. Wouldn't that be somewhat presumptuous if I were to ask the interviewer questions?" No. The truth... Read More

Job Hunting Tips: Assessing Personal Value

A week out of work is a vacation. You can sleep late in the morning, revel in your newly found free time, shop when the stores are... Read More