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As I mentioned last week, I’ve been offered and have accepted a paid writing position. (By the way, today is the final day of the Community Experiment. Any results to report? Email or comment to let me know!) I’m extremely excited about this opportunity, and I absolutely cannot wait until the administrative boxes have all been checked and I can get started with the actual writing. It feels so good to know that I’ll be getting paid to do something I love!

Even though getting paid to write has been a goal of mine for YEARS, I might not have been as excited about this opportunity if it had arisen a year ago. As a matter of fact, I might have walked away from it. Why on earth, you may rightly ask, would I have been anything less than thrilled about a paid writing opportunity? What possible reason would I have had for ignoring it or turning it down?
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I’ve been keeping a handwritten journal as one of my 101 things, and I’ve discovered that sometimes I need a little prompt to get my writing juices flowing.

Image from http://www.infed.org/research/keeping_a_journal.htm

 It occurred to me that I might not be alone in that need, so from now on I’ll be posting a Question of the Week every Wednesday. You can use the question for personal journaling, as a blog post, or just to stimulate a little outside-the-box thinking.

Today’s question is Do you believe in the “forever job”? If so, do you know what yours is?

A little bit of background… A friend of mine who’s in the throes of her quarterlife crisis uses the term “forever job” to refer to the idea that there’s a career out there that’s aligned with her purpose, and that once she finds it, she’ll stick with it forever.

I don’t know that I believe in the “forever job” per se, but I do believe in a “forever purpose” and possibly a “forever career field”. For example, I’m 100% sure that writing is a key ingredient of my forever job. I might be writing novels, writing for magazines, writing personal development books, or writing on bathroom walls, but somehow, some way, writing is IT for me.

What do you think?

If you blog about this question, please let me know so I can check out your answer!

The more I reflect on identifying my true purpose, the more the “You can do it!” message resonates with me. Just typing those words makes me feel energized, inspired, and motivated to work hard and find the right medium for my message. I can honestly say that I never felt that way when I was thinking about writing fiction (or actually writing it). This excitement and energy tells me that I’m on the right track.

I’m not quite sure yet what my ideal medium will be, but since I’m fairly certain (not 100% at this point, but pretty close) that it won’t be fiction, I need to realign my goals and objectives to be a better fit with my (admittedly fuzzy) ideas about how best to move forward. (Check out the revised writing/blogging section of my 101 Things list to see how I changed my goals in those areas.)

At least to start, this website will be the “hub” of my efforts. Here are some steps I plan to take to align it more closely with my purpose:

• Rebranding. I love the Semi-Charmed Wife domain name, so I’m definitely keeping that, but I’d like a new image for my logo/header and a new tagline. Any suggestions? Is anyone out there good with graphic design (on a fee or barter basis, of course) or have a recommendation for someone who is?
• Business plan. I’d like to write a comprehensive business plan to chart the course for my website. This will force me to look at areas I often ignore, such as marketing and revenue generation. Again, I’m not strong in this area, so if you are, I’d love your help! I’d definitely either pay for services or barter my services for yours (e.g., I’ll write/edit/provide coaching for you if you assist me).
• eBook. I’d like to write an eBook about finding your purpose (I have tentative ideas for others as well), and I’d like to make it available in my online store. Which brings me to the next item…
• Online store. I’d like to add an online store to my website where people can purchase services, eBooks, and potentially T-shirts and other merchandise. (Again, I’d need a good graphic designer!)

I think that completing these steps will put me well on the way to transforming my website into an effective vehicle for delivering my message. If you have any additional ideas for me, or if you think you could help me (or know someone who could) with the business plan or the graphic design (either for a fee or for an exchange of services), let me know!

Some of you responded yesterday that you know what your message is, and some responded that you’ve already identified your medium. What steps are you taking to fill in the blanks? What resources or topics for posts might be helpful for you?

Most of you know that one of my paramount interests is to find and live my true purpose. For some time, I’ve been convinced that my purpose is to write fiction–novels, to be specific. Lately, though, I haven’t been so sure. This neither surprises nor upsets me. Figuring out your purpose is the work of a lifetime. I don’t expect it to be easy, and I don’t expect to get it right the first–or the second or the third–time.

I’m still kind of sorting through this issue, but here’s where I stand…

What I prioritize. There are certain things in my life that I make time for without fail. These include spending time with my husband, socializing with friends and family, running, reading, and–most significantly–updating this blog. Since I started this website, I think I’ve posted at least five times per week. I always look forward to writing for Semi-Charmed Wife, and I get terribly distressed when I can’t post. Interesting, no?

What I avoid. I have to force myself to make time for creative writing. It feels like a chore. I’m pretty good at it and I enjoy it, but I’m not on fire for it. If writing fiction is integral to fulfilling my purpose, shouldn’t I be motivated to do it–not avoiding it like the plague? I thought for a long time that maybe fear of failure might be behind my resistance, but I think it’s deeper than that. I think I avoid it because I’ve proclaimed to the world that it’s my calling, and some part of me knows that isn’t quite right (or maybe it is–I’m still working it out). I’ll probably always write fiction as a hobby, but as of right now, I don’t think it’s my purpose.

What fascinates me. I do a lot of reading–books, blogs, informational websites, newspapers, magazines. If it will hold still and has words on it, chances are that I’ll read it (or at least skim it). When it comes to fiction, I love the sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural genres. If I had to put my finger on why I love those types of books the best, I’d have to say because they stimulate my imagination. They prompt me to think and dream and imagine and visualize and push at the limits of what’s possible.

In the nonfiction realm, I love (obviously) reading about personal development–finding your purpose, setting goals, growing as a person… anything along those lines. I enjoy reading about different religions and spiritual traditions–probably a legacy of the Comparative Religion and Culture Program I did while studying abroad. I also love reading about the intersection between science and spirituality (check out these articles for examples of what I’m talking about). So overall, my nonfiction reading focuses on personal growth, exploring spirituality and culture, and discovering new ways of thinking.

What frustrates me. I don’t know about you, but when I’m frustrated by something, I get really motivated to change it. It seems logical to me that things that frustrate us about the world, other people, or ourselves could provide insight on our purpose–what we’re here to change. I’m frustrated that so many people–especially people in their 20s and 30s (myself included)–have such a hard time figuring out what to do with their lives. I want to help people find their own path. I’m frustrated that many people have a kind of victim mentality about life. They feel like life “just happens” to them, and they chalk up negative experiences to “just my luck”. I want people to feel empowered and to realize that they–and they alone–are the architects of their own destiny. I’m frustrated that I see so much untapped potential all around me (including in myself). I want people to become enlightened, to see the truth of themselves and to take accountability for growing into the fullness of what and who they can become. It frustrates me to see people come up with reason after reason why they can’t achieve their goals. I want to help people stop making excuses and start living.

What I’m good at. I’m a good writer–writing comes as easily and naturally to me as speaking. I’m also an articulate and comfortable public speaker; unlike many people, I really enjoy speaking to large groups. I’m good at teaching, training, and mentoring, and I think I give pretty sound advice and counsel.

Who I want to reach. I want to reach anyone who’s searching for truth and purpose, any seeker who’s ready to take up the challenge of a lifetime and become the person they were meant to be. I feel especially drawn to helping women in this challenge.

You probably noticed that I bolded and highlighted key words and phrases throughout this post. These words feel important to me. They feel like they’re connected to my purpose, like they’re the key to synthesizing everything I presented in this post into a coherent idea.

I’d love to hear what you think. What comes to mind when you think about what I said? Does a purpose leap out at you? I’d also be happy to take a look at your responses in the above categories and see if I can help you make sense of them.

Have a great weekend!

The last two days have been, as you might guess, a bit trying. I promise to get back to regular, topical posts on Monday, but before I do, I wanted to share something with you.

I’ve made a pretty significant decision about my career and my future. It’s a direction I’ve been considering for years, so I guess it’s been a long time coming. I haven’t been able to make this move until now, but my husband just got a nice raise and we’re very financially secure, so the time is finally right.

I’ve decided to apply for the DC Teaching Fellows this fall. It’s an alternative certification program that allows you to start teaching while taking classes. Teaching is something I’ve always been drawn to, and I’ve loved my experience as a mentor with the Higher Achievement Program. Working with kids was challenging and rewarding in ways that I’ve never experienced before, and I think I would be completely fulfilled by a teaching career.

The program has a number of great benefits. Teachers can get lower interest rates on home loans in DC, and there’s a program where they can buy houses at up to 50% off the list price. I can get my federal student loans cancelled by serving in an underserved school district. I can get half of my tuition reimbursed–more if I agree to teach for two full years. And I get to work with really great kids!

It’s a competitive program, and there’s a chance I might not get in. Even if I don’t, I still want to pursue one of the other alternate certification programs here in DC. My goal is to start teaching in Fall 2009. It’s kind of scary to contemplate cutting my salary nearly in half, but I haven’t been happy at work for a long time and I’m ready to be HAPPY about my job!

In addition to being a career that will challenge and fulfill me, teaching would give me summers off. And you know what I could do with that time? WRITE!! I’ve been pretty sporadic with my creative writing lately. I’ve found that my job, which is very stressful and mentally/emotionally grueling, leaves me with zero creative energy at the end of the day. It’s just more than I can do to spend nine hours in intense mental concentration in front of a computer at work and come home and engage in more intense mental concentration in front of a computer. I’ve tried, and I just burn out.

I’m really excited about preparing for the program! I’ve already signed up to take the PRAXIS exams, and I’ll be applying to the Teaching Fellows program as soon as registration opens in October. Hooray!

I’m off to enjoy a (hopefully) relaxing weekend with my (thank God) healthy husband. I hope you have a wonderful, restful weekend!!