Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
(This is a launch of anew series on ways people can reconcile their interests, hobbies, fandom, and geekery with their careers. In it I will explore the different options we have to turn what we love into what we make a living at).
One of the surest ways to combine what you like to do with how you make money is this:
Do something you enjoy doing for a living skill-wise.
I was introduced to learned helplessness in my psychology studies many years ago, and it's one of several concepts that made a deep impression on me. To sum it up simply, animals and humans exposed to situations where they have (or don't think they have) control eventually act helpless, even at times when they can restore control. In short, people and animals can be exposed to experiences that make them act and be helpless even when things change.
This is an incredibly important psychological finding because it's a reminder of how experiences – and approach to handling them – affects our ability to take control of our lives and deal with stress. Many is the time I've witnessed people in the throws of learned helplessness, and I'm sure upon reflection you've seen it too. In fact, chances are you've experienced it now and then yourself.
I also see it a lot in people's careers, especially in this economic climate. I would go as far to say that I think learned helplessness is making the Great Recession far worse for many people.
You probably have had it happen: you get that book on careers that everyone is talking about, get into it, then read something so blindingly obvious you stop. You ask why the author is wasting your time on stating something so incredibly obvious to anyone, and begin to question the book. Why waste your time with things you already know?
I've been there before. There's few books about business or careers I've read that haven't had some section that has made me wonder why the author is wasting my time with such things. Why tell me something I know – give me something I don't.