This is the name of a book I am reading and have assigned to the career development course I am teaching this semester to undergraduates. The author Patrick Combs writes, “Doing what you enjoy propels you to success. How it propels you is simple. Success in any endeavor takes a lot of effort, and the key to a lot of effort is loving what you’re working on…Passion gives you the power to work hard. It accelerates the development of your talents. It puts aliveness and meaning into your life.”

I thought this was a good way to start off LYJ.  Because when you love your job, it’s no longer “work”, it’s using your passions, gifts and talents everyday.

Here’s an exercise from the book that I’m going to do with my students:

The Magazine Test (by Patrick Combs):  To get an immediate sense of something you’re passionate about, look at the list of magazines (below) and pick the ONE you think would be the GREATEST to read for one year. If there’s some other magazine that you think of as the greatest, then so be it. In any case, when you’ve made your pick, you’ll have a great indication of what you have passion for…One more thing on the magazines – it’s what you would choose TODAY that matters. Don’t worry about if it will be your next ‘passion of the month.’ Here and now are what matter when it comes to your passion.

(Note, I edited and added to Combs’ list of magazines.)

Wired
Real Simple
The Economist
Cook’s Illustrated, Gourmet or Cooking Light
Esquire
The New Yorker
Poets and Writers Magazine
Consumer Reports
Time/Newsweek
Conde Nast Traveler
Car and Driver
Sports Illustrated
Science News
Aperture – Photography Magazine
National Geographic
Money
Budget Living
Entertainment Weekly
Parenting
The NY Review of Books
New York Magazine
Rolling Stone
Astronomy
Artist’s Ways
Business Week
Oprah Magazine
Cosmopolitan
Entrepreneur Magazine
Dance
Discover
Electronic Gaming
Farm and Ranch Living
GOOD Magazine
Mother Jones
Better Homes and Gardens
Martial Arts
Natural Health
Personal Transformation
People
In Style

In case you are wondering, the magazine I currently signed myself up for is Entrepreneur with visions of myself opening a business in the future. I would also subscribe to Astronomy magazine. Does that mean these are new careers for me? Not necessarily.  But I see it as a step toward following my dreams and interests, picking up on the clues and seeing where they take me one day at a time. Try it and see.