“What Do You Really Want to Be When You Grow Up?”

Who hasn’t wondered if they are really happy in their chosen profession. Many ponder, but few take the next steps to truly do something that is rewarding and fulfilling

However, on four Wednesdays during August, 15 people at different places on the career path met at St. Joan of Arc to examine what it means to strike out in a different direction. They came together as part of a four-part workshop called “What Do You Really Want to Be When You Grow Up.”

I saw the class listed in the Sunday bulletin early in the summer and was intrigued. Having lost my partner to cancer in May and having taken a buyout in June after 20 years with a local media company (the one with the green trucks and the constantly changing cast of characters), it seemed like that catchy title was aimed directly at me. To say my life was changing, going through some upheaval, was an understatement.

The leader of the workshop, Leonard Lang, has developed a practical, meaningful program based on his book, Guide to Lifework: Working with Integrity and Heart. Introducing this disparate group of various ages, experiences and talents to his concept of finding meaning and fulfillment in the work we do, Leonard first asked us to write three goals for the class.

This simple task helped me focus on why I left my previous company and what I wanted differently from my next employer. Using several anecdotes, including one about my favorite architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, Leonard helped me to visualize my goals and to move beyond some of the “scary things” that might impede the search for my Holy Grail.

The framework of the class was built around four questions we would be attempting to answer: Who am I? What is my purpose? What do I want to do and where to I want to do it? How do I succeed in making the vision a reality? While at the time those seemed like enormous questions to pose, Leonard offered several strategies and exercises to facilitate finding the answers.

One of the more interesting and telling exercises was mind mapping, a technique developed by Tony Buzan that is part brainstorming, part connect-the-dots. With this I was able to understand the tasks I really enjoyed, the passions I bring to my life and my work and how both are interconnected in so many ways.

Another valuable concept Leonard led us through was mind mapping our values. Especially surprising was how he really encouraged me to examine the hierarchy of these values by examining those at the bottom as well as at the top of the list. I found that what I considered the top value in my everyday life was not necessarily the top value when it came to my career. That was definitely food for thought.

We also developed lifework summary statements. Mine got to the core of what I was looking for in my next line of work, which is proving more organic in many ways. Leonard also had us picture what would be our perfect day, what would be our perfect job and to realize that both weren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.

Leonard helped me realize that sometimes I can be too goal-oriented. With his and my classmate’s assistance, I discovered that stepping back, taking a deep breath and calling an audible in the middle of a process or project can be a positive. And his suggestion of committing to “lifeline dates” rather than setting deadlines has forced me to look at the entire process of finding work in a better light.

The last session of the class was sprinkled with cautions on some of the potholes that can divert the drive to success. But Leonard offered some practical ways to approaching the inevitable adversity and coming out the other side in a better place.

My favorite suggestion to dealing with the peaks and valleys of plotting a new career direction was finding a success partner. Making a list of everyone I knew, quantifying their impact on my life produced the perfect partner for me. We are helping each other set attainable goals, encouraging each other from objective vantage points and giving each other permission to flux and flex as we travel along this path together.

Randy Miranda (is that really Randy??)is originally from Florida, so he is more comfortable in the summer, the more humid the better. He loves gardening (he has helped on occasion with projects around the SJA grounds) and music (virtually every genre but opera). Randy has planted more than 600 annuals along the classroom side of the church grounds and maintained them throughout the summer. He can usually be found on the north side of the church and in family mass with his daughter, Mallory.

I am positive I will find a place that meets my new career objectives. Until then, I keep the quote that I used as a bookmark during the workshop nearby as a gentle reminder that I’m on the right track. “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until is it faced.” -James Baldwin

Leonard Lang is a corporate trainer, facilitator and lifeworks coach. He leads workshops at area colleges and community centers and has spoken during Sunday services at St. Joan of Arc. He can be reached at llang@beardavenue.com.