A Challenge for my Reader(s)

"Find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."
Attributed to Confucius, there's some logic to this sound bite, though
I don't fully subscribe to it.

I was chatting last week with an old friend, recently retired from a
high profile politically-appointed position with our state government.
We were discussing what his life was like after being an agency
Commissioner. He said that when he left the Commission, he didn't know what he was going to do with himself.

To answer this question, he called another former commissioner and
asked their advice. The suggestion he received was simple and to the point. It's a good suggestion even for those of us who have good jobs but feel like we're missing out on something.

He was told to "make a list of five things you would you be willing to do for free. Now, go find someone willing to pay you to do some or all of them."

My friend rattled off a list of things he enjoyed doing, and then described how he'd managed to create a consulting business that leveraged his personal strengths and professional experience.

I first tried this exercise when I read the book What Should I Do With My Life by Po Bronson and the Dalai Lama's book The Art of Happiness. My earlier attempts at this exercise weren't completely successful, primarily because a) what I'd be willing to do for free changes over time and b) I always skew the results to support whatever leisure activity I'm fixated on at the moment. However, the list my friend put together contained more personal characteristics (like "helping people develop consensus"). When I've done this exercise before, I've rejected anything related to my current career path. So with this new information, I'm rethinking my approach to this question.


So here's your challenge. In the "snide comments" section, share your list of "things you'd be willing to do for free." You may omit those things which would lead to employment as a porn "actor/actress," rock star, or taste tester. In other words, those things that we'd ALL include in our lists.

Update 9 Aug 2007 6:17pm:
When coming up with your list, assume that you don't have to worry about money. Just ignore that practical side -- you're looking for what you love.