The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do

(Chris Devlin) #1

day, then you only need to work 200 days a year. The
remaining 165 days can be spent on the rest of your
portfolio. It’s a useful way of organizing an unconventional
career, which is likely what your calling will be for the first
few years. But what if we applied this idea not just to work
but to your whole life?
As I’ve already said, a calling is more than a career; it’s
the purpose and direction of your life. Which means that it
doesn’t just apply to what you do; it’s who you are. So let’s
look at the four areas that make up the portfolio that is your
life.



  1. Work


At some point, you must come to grips with the fact that
you will do many different things in life. Jobs will come and
go, and careers won’t last as long as you think they should.
But in all those experiences, you will be growing. Every
new experience contributes to the portfolio. Long gone are
the days of graduating from high school or college, joining
up with a company, and working there for forty years before
retiring and collecting a pension.
In many cases, the organizations where we make our
vocational homes won’t be here five years from now. They
will be acquired, go bankrupt, or morph into something
different. That’s just the way the world works now. Having
a portfolio mindset toward work will make you a more well-
rounded person and set you up for success in this new
economy.

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