
Years ago, a friend of mine did something that I found to be quite brave and daring and something, at that time, I would never think to do for myself – she wrote her own job description. Travel is her ultimate passion and rather than wait for someone to give her that opportunity, she created it for herself.
While she was climbing the corporate ladder, she found a niche that would allow her to travel extensively to many exotic locations. Since she works for a pretty large corporation, her list (which was ultimately her dream job) included all the ways it would benefit the company she worked for. She drafted a new job description for herself and submitted it to her boss.
Her company accepted her proposal, created the position for her and she now lives her dream of traveling throughout the year while getting paid quite well for it.
I remember at the time thinking this one bold and brave act was validation that, yes, we can indeed design our own lives no matter what our circumstances are.
Around this time I wrote down a list of all the reasons I could think of why I wanted to work for myself. Recently I came across this list, having forgotten I had even had it, and realized that I was now living these reasons as well. It’s been said before but intention coupled with the act of writing down our goals and dreams truly is a powerful thing.
This got me thinking…while looking to be hired by someone else, we look for how we fit into the bullet points of a job listing. What if instead we looked at how our jobs fit in with our passions, values, beliefs and lifestyle?
It is with this thought that I recently decided to write my own dream vocation description. As someone who integrates much of her working life with my personal life, I decided to change the word job to “life” description since the word “job” conjures up unpleasant memories in my head of working for someone else. When I went to write these words at the top of my journal page, I accidentally (?) wrote Life Prescription. I looked at what I had written and decided it also fit, so I wanted to share some questions to ponder when writing your own life prescription.
Soul Food: Think about what it is that moves you, inspires you, feeds your soul, and motivates you. Is it Art? Travel? Vintage items? Cooking? Helping others? Photography? Whatever your passion, this of course needs to be a large part of your daily duties.
Know thyself: Are you someone who feeds off of social interaction or are you comfortable working alone for hours without interruption?
· Are you the type who rises with the sun and are ready to be done with your workday by noon, or are you someone who likes to sleep in and ease into your morning, working in spurts throughout the day, or well into the night, to accommodate your schedule?
· What are your core values? Truth? Respect? Compassion? Courage? How will these be incorporated into your life prescription? (Here is a helpful article about living our values)
· What about dress code? Does dressing in the latest fashions or vintage finds help you to put your best foot forward, or does the idea of working in your pajamas stir your soul?
· What does your workspace look like? Are you enjoying a window view from your corner office? Thriving off the collective creative energy in a collaborative loft space? Enjoying the solitude of a private studio converted from the attic of your house? What are the colors and objects that surround you? Is there music playing? Are there others working with you or are you alone?
Know your clients: Who are the people who will help your vocation become your reality? It’s important to know who the people are you will essentially be working with whether they are your clients, customers or collaborators. One way to do this is to visualize who your dream clients are and even write out a mini bio to help you identify them further.
Don’t forget money: This is a topic that is easily it’s own essay but salary negotiation is part of any real job so don’t leave it out of your description. Really consider what your time and the service you are providing are worth and then stick to your guns. What salary will provide a comfortable lifestyle for you? How much money would you like to make? How can you create multiple streams of income? Create some rules for your work about money and don’t undersell your art or service, doing so only hurts yourself as well as your fellow colleagues working in your same industry.*
Leave room to grow: Allow yourself to dream bigger. When writing your dream life prescription include those things that might not seem like they necessarily match your work, though they are part of your dream. You never know, there might be an opportunity down the line so include those dreams which appeal to you on a deeper level.
An example of what this might look like:
· Host a traveling dinner party for friends and clients
· Sell original works of art online,
· Have my photography shown in a gallery
· Take time out to travel for my book tour
· Attend retreats as part of my work
· Work with children in some capacity
· Travel to France and Italy as part of my work
· Teach a class… or several
· Hire an in-house assistant, bookkeeper and nanny.
Putting it all together: This is where the creative you gets to come out and play. Once you answer these key questions you will start to see your dream vocation appear before you. Perhaps you discovered that you have a passion for kids and cooking? Perhaps cooking workshops created for children is for you. Are you deeply moved by photography, travel and helping others? Visualize yourself conducting group photography retreats in third world countries to bring about change and awareness. In this brainstorming phase, you will begin to see the endless possibilities of what your work can be.
My own life prescription is growing and evolving as I do. Many of the duties on my new list are not those that I am doing now, but as with any job, duties change. We evolve, gain experience, and get promoted. So don’t get discouraged if your life prescription doesn’t match what you are doing now for work. Just know that by writing it down and putting the call out that you are setting the intention for motion to be put forth.
Of course writing a job description if you have a boss will look different than the one you write when working for yourself. My life prescription now reads more like an essay, a picture painted of what my work days look like, what I am wearing, how I communicate with clients, how I want to market my services, who I can hire to help me with my weaknesses so that I am free to focus on my strengths.
I just recently finished my new life prescription and like anything, it’s a work in progress that is sure to evolve over time. I feel a sense of power having written down the intention and I hope to look back on it a year or two from now, just like I did with my list of reason of why I wanted to work for myself, with the realization that I am living out the very vocation I have created for myself. I wish the same for you.
* As I was writing this article, this section became very long so I will probably expand on this in a future Wish Studio post.
Stacy de la Rosa likes to play with words and pictures. She makes jewelry designed to empower and encourage others at her shop Bella Wish. She is taking baby steps on launching her next creative endeavor. You may also find her at www.stacydelarosa.com












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