Best Job Ever!

Chapter 11Career Plan Step #1: What Is Your Job?

I love asking kids what they want to be when they grow up because I'm still looking for ideas.

—Unknown

When I was a pharmaceutical salesman in my twenties, one of the accounts assigned to me was the Oklahoma prison system. I remember being extremely excited (that is an understatement) to call on the prison doctor and get my first experience behind bars.

As I walked to the doctor's office, I couldn't help but notice the inmates were in handcuffs and foot shackles with chains. Every time they moved the rustling of the chains was a reminder of where I was. For days, I couldn't get the image out of my mind and wondered what life would be like to wear handcuffs and foot shackles everywhere I went.

I have since learned that most of us have our own set of handcuffs and foot shackles. (Oftentimes, we put them on ourselves and don't need a warden.) When we leave the house in the morning, we make sure we have our chains on to slow us down throughout the day, strip away our joy, and hinder the pursuit of our goals. These shackles of fear, excuses, and not knowing how to move forward serve as constant reminders of past bad experiences, failures, and of not ever “being enough.”

How you deal with these chains will be a determining factor in the success of your personal and professional life. The purpose of this book is to help you identify what those chains may be (Part One: Why You May Feel Stuck in Your Career), teaching you how to break ...