Lessons from a Quitter

Why are you searching for your passion? Really think about it. You try to find it because you think that once you find it, you will love your work and finally be happy. What you're searching for is that happiness or fulfillment. Not the passion. And, yet, so many of us are hating the journey there. We think something outside of us is what is going to finally make everything better. But it doesn't work like that. The question isn't "What is my passion so I can be fulfilled?" it is "How can I be fulfilled right now so I can start discovering my passions?" Today on the podcast, I teach you what to work on in order to find fulfillment today. No passion needed.

This week, I wanted to talk about the art of dreaming bigger and why it is so important. The reason you aren't clear about what you want in life stems from the fact that you're constantly limiting yourself. You've stopped dreaming. You've settled for what's "realistic" even though deep down you know there is more. Part of finding that dream life is letting yourself set bigger goals to create a clear vision of what you want. You need to allow yourself to want things that seem intangible and then create small, actionable goals to reach them. Let me teach you how.

You've spent so much time and energy getting to where you are. You've acquired some incredible skills. It seems like such a waste to walk away from it all. But what if you didn't have to? What if you used your skills in a new way? The problem is that most of us only think inside the box we've always been in. You do it how it has always been done.

But, with the internet, that no longer has to be your reality. There are so many ways to use your skills. So many ways to make money. It just requires you to think outside of the box. To figure out how you can take those skills and use them in new ways. Ways that serve you better. That's exactly what we're talking about (plus a lot more) on the podcast this week with Damona Hoffman.

Damona spent her career climbing the corporate ladder in Hollywood, holding several creative executive positions at studios like CBS, NBC Universal, and Paramount. But, like many mothers, after she had a child, she realized that the intense hours of her career were no longer what she wanted. After a decade of creating a notable career behind the camera as a TV producer and executive, Damona walked away. As she jumped into her own entrepreneurial journey, Damona used her skills from casting to production in her own business.

She not only became a certified dating and relationship coach but she made herself into an on-air personality. She is a regular contributor on The Drew Barrymore Show, CNN Headline News, The Washington Post, and more. She has an advice column in the LA Times. She's been featured on various series on the A&E Network.

She also parlayed her skills into becoming a professional podcaster (meaning she gets paid to host a podcast for other people). She is now the host of the I Make A Living podcast for Freshbooks where she interviews people who work for themselves. The podcast provides a space to have candid conversations about what it is really like to make your own living. Damona is the perfect example that walking away doesn't mean throwing it all away. It means building it on your own terms.

With this being the week entering the New Year, I spend this episode doing a recap of my 2020 year. While we tend to tout all of our successes (and there are plenty of those in this episode), I'm more excited to share all of my failures. As always, I want you to see that you can't get any of the successes if you're not willing to go through a ton of failure. I hope my year is an example of how you can manage both. Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays! I'm taking this week off from the podcast but I'll be back next week. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

This week we're talking about the story that you have about yourself and your capabilities. There is a narrative that you have formed based on your past experiences. And, too often, we believe that this narrative is based on facts. It is not. Your brain has ignored a mountain of evidence to keep that narrative afloat. This self-concept is made up of just thoughts that you have about yourself. And the great news is that you can change those thoughts. This week, we talk about why it is imperative to do that and how to get started.

If you've been a long-time listener, then you know I am running a goal-setting workshop in January and it has gotten me thinking about all things goal-setting. So this week, I wanted to do an episode on the difference between your short-term goals and your long-term goals. Because one of the problems I see over and over again with my clients is that they're constantly focused on the short-term goals without any idea as to the long-term vision. This keeps them hustling, running in circles, without getting anywhere. The key is to learn how to set long-term goals that will give you a North Star to make sure you're on the right path while implementing smaller, short-term goals to actually get you there.