I don’t know what I want to do with my life…

How many times have you said this?  Personally, I’m beyond counting at this point!  Even after I’ve found great stuff to do with my life — like this coaching and writing that I do — I still have moments when I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up. 

If this resonates with you at all, RUN to pick up a copy of, Is Your Genius at Work? by Dick Richards.

This is one of those books I wish I’d found sooner, like 20 years ago!  The book was published in 2005 so excellent, detailed, reviews already exist, like one from self-help info guru Steve Pavlina and another by Dave Pollard.  Check them out.

I do a lot of "life purpose" work for myself and with others as a coach.  And I consider myself fairly self-aware.  Nonetheless, the book opened my eyes to a few things.  Richard’s model offers a key element that informs our life purpose and how we operate in life and career: Our Unique Genius. 

Our genius is that one deep underlying strength that we do so naturally and easily that we barely notice it.  This book is about noticing that thread that runs through our life and naming it.  The naming takes the convention of one "ing-word" and one noun, such as Creating Clarity or Building Platforms.  According to Richards, by using the exercises in the book, the right name will land solidly with us and feel right.  I believe this, but haven’t landed it so far!

Richards lists the basic assumptions that we need to hold about our unique genius:

* You do have a genius.
* You have only one genius.
* Your genius has been with you your entire life.
* Your genius is natural and spontaneous and a source of success.
* Your genius is a positive force.
* Your genius is not what you wish it would be; it is what it is.
* Your genius should contain one gerund and one noun.
* Your name for your genius will be unique.

Once identified, your genius then informs other aspects of your life:  are you using it at work?  how does it support your purpose?  And it can be used as a compass in all your life decisions, helping to align your actions to who you are at the core.

The process, and exercises are straightforward, but that doesn’t mean simple.  As I mentioned, I have been struggling with fully naming my genius for a couple weeks now.  I’ve only got it half right: Synthesizing.  Synthesizing what … well, god knows!

I am enjoying the insight from this book.  If you apply the techniques and hold yourself to the fire, I guarantee you will gain new insight as well.  Enjoy!