“Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work” by Timothy Keller delves into the profound relationship between faith, work, and life’s purpose. The book serves as a guide for those yearning for more meaning in their careers, showing how work can be tied to a higher calling.
Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type
Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type, written by Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron, and Kelly Tieger, is a book that helps us identify our ideal careers by understanding our personality types. It is based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality assessment, which classifies people into 16 distinct personality types.
The book is especially helpful for those who feel unfulfilled in their work as it provides guidance on how to find a career that aligns with their innate strengths and preferences.
I remember clearly the day I first saw someone play an acoustic guitar with finesse. As I listened, my soul was refreshed and awakened to a new desire. With all the dedication a six-year-old boy can muster, I resolved to play guitar well enough to move people. It pulled me in. There was no declaration of purpose based on my talent or willpower. I fell in love with the instrument. It hooked me. Over the following two decades, this love of music would teach me much about the place of hard work and talent.
When I am in the middle of a project, I sometimes feel like I am losing my bearings, and my energy starts to fade. The clarity with which I began falters, and I search for external validation of the unfinished work. I question if I should continue. Will all this effort have any impact in the end? Perhaps you experience this too. If so, let me remind you of a simple truth. It takes commitment to complete anything worth doing.
We can be content with what we have but not complacent. Grateful, but not passive. Since healthy human beings grow, this desire for more is inevitable and necessary for our thriving.
Everything that happens has a purpose. If you believe this is true, even mundane coincidences have meaning. If everything you go through is for a reason, even the lowest and most painful moments are vital to the plot. To skip them would be to miss the point. Yet these shameful, gut-wrenching, or embarrassing moments are the ones we tend to scrub from our memories. We sanitize our stories and leave them without dynamism.
This past week was packed full of tasks requiring intellectual and emotional energy. From Monday through Wednesday, I assisted coworkers at my job on an urgent initiative. Then in my off hours, I coached two clients and prepared to attend a retreat nearby. I support entrepreneurs as they clarify their vision, strategy, and tactics. And I do so from a just few steps ahead. My business is not mature enough for me to leap into full-time entrepreneurship. I hoped the retreat would realign my values and that I could return to my coaching work with renewed vigor.
I used the word luck for the first time when I was an inquisitive eight-year-old boy. It had a mysterious and powerful ring to it. I needed a word to capture the idea that things happened by chance. It helped me think about the the apparent meaninglessness of some of my early childhood experiences. Despite my excitement about it, the word was not well-received. Someone, I think one of my parents, said I must never say the word again.
Prioritizing the Unglamorous to Preserve Willpower
Several years ago, I read a delightful book called Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy. The book’s premise is simple. Since we lose willpower throughout the day, it is best to do the hard things first. Hopefully, you never have to eat an actual frog. But if a frog is on the menu, eat it first thing in the morning.
“No matter how bad things got, I always focused on what I could do that day. It’s like they say, it is best to live in the moment.” My new friend looked at me with raised eyebrows expecting a response. I could see that this was one of her core beliefs.
“Every Monday is like a mini New Year, giving you the chance to start fresh with a clean slate. That‘s why the weekly emails are a blessing. You can choose to complain and hate Mondays, or you can be among the select few who embrace a new, fresh start. Today with Purpose provides a pep talk, wise principles, and a vision that can help you see that life and work are meaningful. I encourage everyone to read it and start their week off right with a vision and principles that don‘t conform to the world, but instead seek to serve others and better yourself!”
A Writer and Coach Finds Simple, Actionable Advice
“I truly enjoy receiving Harvey‘s email messages. They are easy-to-read, but packed with helpful and encouraging information. I created a separate email folder to store them just so I can refer back to them more easily. His topics are very timely and seem to address issues I am currently experiencing, like self-doubt and problems completing what I start, or they address topics that can help me personally and professionally, such as ways to provide more impact at work. I like to keep Harvey‘s messages because they provide simple, actionable steps to implement, but can lead to a significant return. Referring to the messages weeks later provides good accountability to ensure I‘m following the advice.”
“Spending a few minutes reading a message from Harvey has become something that truly has been meaningful, thoughtful, and encouraging.”
— A Local Business and Ministry Leader.
A Coach and Author Sees a Message of Hope
“The value I find from Harvey‘s messages is an acknowledgment that many people feel dissatisfied, even with seemingly successful lives. His writing is such a reflection of him. Not a ‘get happy quick’ message but a message of empathy, compassion, and hope. He walks in his readers‘ shoes towards more purpose and impact. It is not quick and easy. But very possible.”
— Melissa Bloom, Coach and Author of The Path to Joy.
