Amazing Work: The Truth About It

This is a guest post from Tracy of Billy & Co. Her journey on Peace & Projects began here.

When I first read the Amazing Work article on Zen Habits, my initial reaction was, “Yeah, right. Doing what you love, being your own boss, being excited to work – nice for some people, but it would never work for me.”

A hundred excuses popped into my head, like:

- Well, I’m not married, so I wouldn’t have a spouse’s income to fall back on if I failed.
- What about a steady income to pay the bills?
- I don’t even know what my amazing work is.

I almost forgot about the article until Melissa kept bringing it up (she is delightfully persistent that way!). Her persistence culminated into an Amazing Work Meeting where we dreamed about what our Amazing Work might be. Even the excitement generated at the thought was squashed with: “Whatever … this will never happen for me.”

But then, something changed. Hearing Melissa’s dream of starting her own blog seemed so attainable. She wasn’t planning on ending world hunger, or discovering a cure for cancer, or writing the next bestselling book. She was following a dream that was doable, right now. I started feeling that maybe, just maybe, I could do the same.

After giving in to hope, I got stuck, again: what was my amazing work? Even while embracing the idea of doing something I loved, I felt like a loser for wondering what do I love. I considered the things I liked to do: reading, graphic design, watching movies, listening to music, art …

I thought helping market local artists could be my amazing work … but the more I recalled the flyers, business cards and schmoozing, the more it felt like work. I was on the right track, but not at the finish line yet.

Here’s how I found my amazing work. I asked myself:

• What do I love?
• What do I feel passionate about?
• What makes me excited to get out of bed in the morning?

Somewhere in the shy, doubtful part of my mind, I had a breakthrough: I didn’t want to promote other artists. I wanted to create and promote my own art. My hobby of creating jewelry was my greatest pleasure in life.

Here’s how I define a perfect day:

• Spend an undisclosed amount of my paycheck on beads, clay, hooks and chains.
• Turn on my favorite music.
• Light scented candles.
• Just create. Even the word “create” sends a zing of excitement through me.

Suddenly, the impossible seemed possible. I had already sold my pieces in the past (see the photo in this post of my biggest fan wearing one of my necklaces!). Between local stores, art shows and the internet, there were endless places to sell my product. My Amazing Work was suddenly born.

The aftermath of this self-doubt and self-discovery left an extra bounce in my step. The world seemed a little brighter, and my day job – not quite so onerous. Having a goal to create jewelry full-time gives me the excitement I need to start making it happen. So that’s what I am doing, little by little, bead by bead. I am learning: something truly amazing awaits.

The journey continues next month with: Bumps in the Road.

Photo by Mike Peters. Check out Tracy’s etsy site.