Are You Doing What You Love?
This morning, on the anniverary of 9/11, I turned on the tv as I prepared to leave for work — and found myself watching a re-broadcast of the TODAY Show episode that I’d watched on that harrowing day 8 years ago. I was standing in the same spot. I had even tuned in at about the same time. It was the worst kind of deja vu.
Such moments make you reflective.
I won’t use this post to memorialize the day. Others with more talent who were more personally touched by that event will do better. I did, however, want to share the happy side benefit of my reflective morning.
Since everything you know and love can change in an eyeblink: will you be happy with the life you’ve been living? I am so happy to say that after 20 years I’m still in a loving relationship with my Welsh beauty and that my kids are healthy and flourishing and that I love what I do for a living. Really, thankfully, I wouldn’t change much. (I do knock wood a lot, fwiw.)
Do you love what you do? Are you overly concerned with subscribers, Twitter followers, popularity, wealth? On days like today that strikes me as a sorry game. My pal Chris Brogan is more popular than me, but he’s a nobody compared to Jay-Z, and Jay-Z is a nobody compared to Barack Obama — and you couldn’t pay me enough money to take HIS job! So why chase after the so-called benefits of “popularity” if it consumes us; if those “benefits” do little to improve our lives or our relationships or our planet?
Do you love what you do? Are you overly concerned with ROI, measurement, etc.? On days like today that strikes me as a sorry game. Your customers are online and don’t care about your ROI (as someone wisely noted on Twitter this week). You should listen to them. Talk to them. Why wouldn’t you talk to your customers? Seems like only fear or arrogance would prevent this engagement.
Do you love what you do?
Not preaching. Just thinking out loud. It’s what we bloggers do!
Posted on: September 11, 2009 at 10:50 am By Todd Defren
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Something to make you think: Are you doing what you love? [link to post] -
this post is from around 10 days ago, but i really like it and wanted to share (from todd defren) [link to post] -
Do you truly love what you do? Read this for inspiration: [link to post]. -
@TDefren was reflective yesterday, as most of us were and asked a great question. What do you love? [link to post] -
Are You Doing What You Love?: I really, honestly and truly, enjoy coming to work everyday (minus the actual comm.. [link to post] -
Great question from @TDefren: Are you doing what you love? [link to post] Well, are you? -
Great question from @TDefren: Are you doing what you love? [link to post] Well, do you? -
RT @mfauscette: reading “Are you doing what you love” frm @TDefren [link to post] -
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RT @peterkim: RT @tdefren Are You Doing What You Love? [link to post] -
RT @pheadrick: RT @tdefren Doing What You Love? [link to post] Just was having this conversation earlier. Luckily the answer is yes. -
RT @tweetmeme Are You Doing What You Love? [link to post]. Great thoughts -
Are You Doing What You Love?: Since everything you know and love can change in an eyeblink: will you be happy wi.. [link to post] -
@TDefren Love what I do AND overly concerned with metrics. Is that an option? -
RT @tdefren Are You Doing What You Love? [link to post] (I second this!) -
RT @tdefren Are You Doing What You Love? [link to post] Some yes, some no. -
RT @TDefren Do you love what you do? [link to post] Important thoughts this Friday. -
Great blog post by @TDefren on doing what you love and re-prioritizing through reflection. [link to post] -
“Are you overly concerned with subscribers, Twitter followers, popularity, wealth?” this gonna break some hearts! DANG! [link to post] -
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“..that my kids are healthy and flourishing and that I love what I do.. – Great post @TDefrenNew [link to post] -
RT @tweetmeme Are You Doing What You Love? [link to post] -
On this anniversary of 9-11, @tdefren asks a good question — do you love what you do? [link to post] -
“..that my kids are healthy and flourishing and that I love what I do.. – Great post @TDefren [link to post] -
New blog post (been a week! sorry!): “Are You Doing What You Love?” [link to post] (via @TDefren) -
RT @TDefren Do you love what you do? Are you overly concerned w/ subscribers, followers, popularity, ROI, metrics? [link to post] -
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RT @TDefren: Do you love what you do? Are you overly concerned w/subscribers, followers, popularity, ROI, metrics? [link to post] -
Reading: “Are You Doing What You Love?” [link to post] (via @tdefren) -
RT @TDefren: Do you love what you do? R you overly concerned w/ subscribers, followers, popularity, ROI, metrics? [link to post]
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Very nice post – thanks for sharing. I get reflective like this quite a lot, but especially on days like 9/11, when many of us pause, and think about all the lives forever altered on that day.
I’ve always tried to focus on my family first. Me, my wife, and our 4 kids are pretty healthy- and happy I think too.
Do I love what I do? Well, I’m a father and husband first – the two things are really intertwined I think, so yes I do. Do I love my work? Well, yes and no. It can be a struggle, being one of the newly “full-time freelancers” as so many of us are these days. But, I’ve been freelancing through every job I’ve held since ’97 or so, so I’ve got some long-time clients, and I’m at least staying busy.
So yes, I would say that I am doing what I love – husband and family – and really liking what I do for work.
I try not to think about Facebook friends, or the number of followers I have on Twitter, or even the amount of money that I make. All those things, when you think about them, are not metrics that matter.
Todd, lots of people love what you do . . . so the fact that you love it is icing on the cake.
On a personal note, as a PR lecturer at San Francisco State University [who loved what she was doing there], I’m a relative newbie on the Social Media scene. However, now that I have been laid off this semester, I can spend even more time “building my social media chops” and I couldn’t be happier.
I am one of the “evangelist” types, who sees how this Social Media Revolution is going to make the world, especially the Business World, a kinder, more ethical, more cooperative, and, definitely, a Better Place to live and work in.
Thanks for providing the prompt and giving me an opportunity to “share the love.”
This is the perfect post for September 11th. I have just started my first job since I graduated and I can happily say I LOVE it. It’s exactly what I wanted to do in the exact industry. I realize how lucky and fortunate I am to have found my dream job in the current climate, and I’ve promised myself not to take it for granted.
Just a note to tell you that I loved this post because so often, people get lost in the volume of numbers and lose sight of the passion or the initial reasons they started doing what they were doing. Thank you for sharing this.
Keep thinking outloud, Todd.
Wonderful post. Thanks for sharing and reminding!
@knealemann
Todd, I really appreciate you taking this approach today. I love working in PR, and while I enjoy all (ok, most!) of my clients, I’m especially thankful for the opportunities to work with nonprofits that I really believe in. It gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that what I’m doing is in some way contributing to a cause bigger than myself.
In the fall of 2001, my little brother had just entered basic training, so 9/11 became that much scarier for me and lots of other people who have loved ones in the military). As I was driving to work this morning, I was reflecting on that and thinking about how important it is to make choices that make you happy — personally and professionally. It’s the least we can do to honor those who sacrificed so much to keep us safe. Thanks for taking this approach today. It’s very appropriate food for thought.
Great way to approach today Todd. I do love what I do and primarily because I feel like I’m making a difference. I love the profession but also enjoy helping others do good, and showing how together we can make a difference.
I’ve been reflecting on that today as well, since I feel we’ve lost a bit of that lately…the idea of working together to affect the change that will make this world a better place for our kids. I hope we can regain that sense of working together for a common good we all felt after 9/11 because it is only as a team we will succeed.
Thanks for making me think again this morning.
I do love what I do. I’ve been fortunate, I guess, in having about five different jobs (at three different companies; two were internal moves) in the 12 years or so I’ve been out of undergrad. All of my moves were on my terms. And with each job, I’ve always liked it. In my current job, though, I *love* it. I totally changed careers, and I think much of why I love what I do was that I set out to do it and worked earnestly to achieve the goal. I really, honestly and truly, enjoy coming to work everyday (minus the actual commute, but that’s what podcasts are for). And it’s gratly affected my quality of life. So, yeah – doing what you love really matters.
I am in the process of trying to find a career to love. I know what I love to do and this is it… but at the same time it is so challenging to find the ideal job.
Especially in Detroit. Finding a paying job with out much experience is tough. In the meantime I am networking, networking and networking.