Finding Focus

Tomorrow I turn 26. With that said, I've decided that it's time to find focus. I've been free for 12 days now, and though I have a ton of ideas about what I want to get into, I am about to buckle down and FOCUS on one of them. Sure, it's okay to be a Jane of all trades, but I don't want to be a "master of none". If I'm going to be great, I have to figure out exactly what I want to be great in!

When I began to seriously contemplate leaving my job, I wrote a list of "likes" and "dislikes" and posted it to the wall in my room. Here's that list:

Likes:
- Photography
- Fashion
- Food/Coffee
- Music
- Travel
- Autonomy
- The Arts (Films, Plays, Acting, etc.)
- Writing
- Learning/Research
- FREEDOM

Dislikes:
- Healthcare IT
- Traveling EVERY week
- Being behind a desk all day/week
- Liars/Manipulators
- Inconsistency

As you can see, I simply wrote a list. I had no intent to stay within a particular theme, but I'm sure the dislikes were derived directly from my work situation :) After I posted the list, I thought to myself, "what can I do that encompasses all of the likes, yet eliminates (or minimizes) the dislikes?" My first guess was to pursue photography, but I quickly realized that there is still a steep learning curve I must climb in order to call myself a "professional". I consider myself a good photographer, and I plan to still develop this talent, but for me (at least at this point in the game), it's probably not the best choice to take the lead.

Though this didn't make the "like" list that day, I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I have an ultimate entrepreneurial goal that is going to take a lot of work to develop, but a more accessible goal manifested itself a few weeks ago. I'm not quite ready to share this goal with the blogosphere, but I've decided that it will be my focus while I'm not working. In fact, it actually involves each of the likes that I listed, though it revolves around only one. I can't explain how excited I am about this journey! I know it's going to be a ton of work to launch this new venture, but if I'm going to live life on my own terms I can't be afraid of hard work and sleepless nights - especially if it involves purpose.

In closing, for those that are seeking purpose, I make this suggestion: write down a list of likes and dislikes. This simple exercise will allow you to visually see what you want more of and less of in your life. Though we can't always eliminate those items that make our "dislike" lists, we can be sure to avoid them once we know what they actually are. Consciousness is our greatest asset. I'm finally awake. Are you?