One of the books that I recently finished reading is “No More Mondays” by Dan Miller.  Dan is a life coach whose purpose is helping people find the work of their dreams.  This is something I have been struggling with for a long time.  I never really felt like I was studying something I was interested in while I was in college, however, I felt a lot of pressure (not sure from where, I guess from within) to continue on through the engineering course track and get my degree.

When I graduated from college, I started working for one of the largest engineering design and construction firms in the country.  Things were great: I had an extremely good income (one of the highest in my graduating class) and it was located in my home town - plus plus.  After I got working there, however, I seemed to find myself dreading going into the office.  Then, I talked to some of the guys that had been in the business for a long time and learned that the business was extremely cyclical and people get laid off all the time.  There was a cycle: people went from one engineering firm to the next every few years because while one company had work the others did not.  I was scared to death.  It got me thinking that I wasn’t secure at the company because I had not control.

I have a cousin who is a pediatrician.  He is very successful and owns his own practice.  That was my inspiration to go to law school.  I wanted to be able to have control.  No matter what, I would be able to start my own practice and control my own destiny.  I didn’t put a lot of effort into choosing law school over some other graduate education program or into some other type of business venture.  It just sounded good.

What Dan Miller preaches is that you should choose your work based on your passions, skills and abilities.  That you should choose what you do based on what you love.  I’m still trying to get there.  Trying to find an intersection between my passions, skills, abilities, my calling and my work.  Based on what I have learned from Dan’s weekly podcasts, newsletters, articles and books I am trying to design my ideal lifestyle and make my “work” satisfy that.

I think everyone can have some self-employed income no matter what they do every day for a “job.”  There are ways to make some additional money so you can make ends meet, get ahead, buy that plasma TV or replace your current income.  No More Mondays is a great place to start if you feel like you are called to work for yourself and be your own boss, but you aren’t sure what to do.  I would advise you against doing something just because you think it can make you some good money, but by following the principles in Dan’s materials, you can find work you love.