Will You Be Doing What You Love At 99?

Fifteen years ago, my high school photography teacher Mr. Stamoulis -- a man of many witty quips -- put a saying in my head that I've remembered ever since:  "Love what you do, and you'll never work a day in your life." Mr. Stamoulis was talking about himself of course, explaining to a room of teenagers why anyone would want to be in his shoes, teaching first-period photography at 7:25 AM to a bunch of teens.

Mr. Stamoulis taught because he loved it.  He retired last year after decades at the school. His perspective on work left a lasting impression on me, and it was on my mind when I saw an article about another long career fueled by enjoyment.

On the cusp of 99, Anthony Mancinelli is the world's oldest barber.  He was profiled in yesterday's New York Times and expressed an outlook on work similar to Mr. Stamoulis'.  Mr. Mancinelli, who began cutting hair when Calvin Coolidge was president, told a reporter, "I'm not even considering retirement, because coming to work is what keeps me going."

What started as a way to make a few extra dollars became a nine-decade career.  What does Mr. Mancinelli like about what he does?  "I enjoy talking to people, it's the best part of the job."

How many of us are lucky enough to be doing work that will make us feel young at 99?

What Mr. Mancinelli and Mr. Stamoulis are both expressing is the power of purpose.  Purpose answers the questions:

• What am I meant to be doing with my time here on Earth?
• What contribution is uniquely mine to make?

Finding work that allows you to live out your answers those questions every day is an incredibly fulfilling way to earn a paycheck.

Have you found work that reflects your purpose?  How did you get there?

MLK's Three Dimensions of a Complete Life

Almost exactly a year before he was killed in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a stirring sermon at the New Covenant Baptist Church in Chicago.  King preached that day about The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life. King began, "you know, they used to tell us in Hollywood that in order for a movie to be complete, it had to be three-dimensional. Well, this morning I want to seek to get over to each of us that if life itself is to be complete, it must be three-dimensional." A complete life, King explained, requires attention to three levels - length (self-care), breadth (concern for others) and height (spirituality).

Here is one of my favorite passages, about finding what you are meant to do and doing it with all your heart:

After accepting ourselves and our tools, we must discover what we are called to do. (Oh yeah) And once we discover it we should set out to do it with all of the strength and all of the power that we have in our systems. (Yeah) And after we’ve discovered what God called us to do, after we’ve discovered our life’s work, we should set out to do that work so well that the living, the dead, or the unborn couldn’t do it any better. (Oh yeah)

Now this does not mean that everybody will do the so-called big, recognized things of life. Very few people will rise to the heights of genius in the arts and the sciences; very few collectively will rise to certain professions. Most of us will have to be content to work in the fields and in the factories and on the streets. But we must see the dignity of all labor. (That’s right)

When I was in Montgomery, Alabama, I went to a shoe shop quite often, known as the Gordon Shoe Shop. And there was a fellow in there that used to shine my shoes, and it was just an experience to witness this fellow shining my shoes. He would get that rag, you know, and he could bring music out of it. And I said to myself, "This fellow has a Ph.D. in shoe shining." (That’s right)

What I’m saying to you this morning, my friends, even if it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, go on out and sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures; sweep streets like Handel and Beethoven composed music; sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry; (Go ahead) sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, "Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well."

You can read the entire sermon here.

Looking to strengthen your own leadership?  To live a more multi-dimensional life?  Learn more about working with me.  

What Matters Now

Seth Godin asked 70 "big thinkers" from business, social innovation, and technology to answer the question, "What Matters Now?"  Their answers - one page essays on topics like fear, generosity, gumption, sleep, and willpower - are available in a free e-book. You can get the free e-book here.

Using the Warmer/Colder Test to Stay Aligned With Your Purpose

Remember that childhood game, warmer/colder?  You'd search for a hidden object while your friend who'd hidden the object told you if you were getting "warmer" or "colder" with each step.  "Warmer" meant you were getting closer, and "colder" meant you were edging farther away.  To succeed at the game, you had to follow the "warmer" prompts until you were right where you were supposed to be. My friend and I were discussing a career decision I had to make, and he asked me if either choice felt "warmer" or "colder" in relation to where I ultimately wanted to be.  When I thought about it, one option clearly felt "warmer" -- that was where I needed to focus my attention.  The other felt "colder" --  not the direction I wanted to be headed.  That's when it clicked for me: warmer/colder is a great everyday gut-check for alignment with purpose.

I began to test out the warmer/colder question in little and big ways.  Staying up late reading blogs? Colder, zapping my energy to focus on things that are really important to me.  Reading a book on brain science?  Warmer, exploring a new area of interest.  Taking a consulting gig to do work unrelated to my studies?  Colder, dragging me back into a way of working that doesn't work for me.  Seeking out connections with new people and organizations?  Warmer, though it feels risky and unknown.

This can be especially helpful in times of career transition and personal growth.  You may feel like you have no clue of where you are going, but doing a warmer/colder check can provide you with some quick gut-level data as you move forward.

Time Management Writ Large

Just a quick post to pass along a truly inspiring TED talk.  Designer Stefan Sagmeister closes his studio every seven years to take a one-year creative sabbatical.  Amazing things happen. I love the way that Sagmeister engages in a kind of time management writ large, thinking about time use over the course of his entire life.  He figures he can take these sabbaticals by reducing his retirement by 5 years and interspersing that time into his working years.

While we all don’t have the resources or flexibility to do what Sagmeister does, it is interesting to think about what possibilities could emerge if we were to think of time management on such a grand scale. [ted id=649] I originally saw this talk referenced in this Harvard Business blog post.