There was something really interesting in Po Bronson's book - a phrase he wrote, a concept he captured. He referred to "rolling inertia" (I like that phrase) of the career. Its so much easier to keep going along the same path, same direction. You get promotions, you get a better parking space, a better title, better chair for your desk.....

It might even be with different companies. So now there is a new cafeteria, and a new set of acronyms, new reporting mechanisms, maybe even a completely different style of management and culture.

But you are still doing the same damn thing.

But its easy - much easier that changing, no matter how much your inner soul WANTS change, is pining for change.

Then come the crossroads - that point where there is no more forward. Maybe its because of a personal tragedy, whatever the case there is a choice YOU MUST MAKE. Its these choices that define you, so says Mr. Bronson.

Can you create your own crossroad? Remove yourself from your track and find a decision point? Will I do it now?

In the process of learning all about career management, I've bought a bunch of self-help books on "finding your career" and whatnot. I guess I want to read a lot of other peoples ideas.

I've got two complaints:

The first is that these books espouse the importance of finding work you love. Of course, work that you love will no longer be work, your work will be better, you will be rich, blah blah blah.

Don't get me wrong, I buy that completely and wholeheartedly - so why then do every one of these books then discuss your next job. If finding what you love to do was just a matter of doing something different, if it was THAT easy....

Well, its not that easy, at least in my opinion. Finding your work - your mission in life, that for which you have a passion is a journey in my humble opinion.

The second problem I have with these books is: Step 1) assess your values. Step 2) assess your skills. Step 3) figure out what you want to do on this basis (huh?) Step 4) go on a job search.

Step 4 and beyond essentially forget the values part of the work. What happened to the values? My favorite part is the informational interview - they say "its important", and then the books "suggest" some questions to ask.

This makes me nuts - you went all through those exercises to learn your values and skills, and now your questions are extracted from some list in a book?

My opinion - it all ties together. Your questions in the informational interview should be rooted in your values and skills. If you don't get the answer to the question "is this job a good match for me", what was the interview all about?

I don't have any training in this field, so someone could probably much better enlighten me, but I have this theory about people and their focus. I believe two types of people exist in varying degrees, wide-focus people and narrow-focus people. I consider myself a wide focus person.

When I worked for IBM, I worked for a guy who I could consider extremely narrow-focused. He could (and would) zone in on tasks and lock out all that was around him, something I always struggle to do. This was great until we had a workshop to do, and again he focused on getting through that agenda but he wasn't able to pick up the signals from the participants.

I met a university student who never considered herself a "good" student. She always struggled to read the hundreds of pages assigned, to write the long papers that are due, and apply the same level of attention to 2 hour long examinations.

I think school is designed for narrow-focused people to succeed, but I believe there are other aspects of work and life in which wide-focused people have a much better opportunity for success.

If you haven't read the Tao Te Ching, this might not make sense. But the Tao talks a lot about NOT collecting things on your way through life. Not collecting money, not getting a big house, big car - certainly not to make them objectives of life.

It also mentions NOT collecting knowledge - hmmmm. First of all, I'm not sure I accept that. Even if I do, can one go through life and not collect knowledge? Is it possible? It seems to me that whether you collect knowledge is a function of awareness, not effort.

I read a lot of resumes in my position - I'm begging you... pleading with you....

STOP telling me about your positive traits! "I'm hard working, creative, learn quickly, and make good decisions".

Don't tell me, demonstrate them to me through achievements. My feeling is (its just a guess) that perhaps you aren't the most objective observer of your own strengths WHEN YOU ARE DOING A SALES PITCH.

Look for achievements that demonstrate your creativity. Let me, as the reader, interpret your achievements as representative of your traits.

Demonstration through writing is not easy. Get help to make this work right - learn to write or have a professional editor read it. Have someone read it first.

Just one of those things...........

Lets imagine your life is on a path. What kind of path is it? Is a a forest trail? A desert road? A footpath in the snow? Stop for a moment, and look ahead. Do you see a goal up ahead? That goal could be an emotion, or a financial reward, or an achievement, or a personal goal. Happiness, a big car, success in work, or children all count. Maybe you can see many of these.

Look to your left and right, this is your present. What surrounds you? Which emotions? How are you physically, financially? Do you have a loving family? Friends?

These are the two views we are often led to think about. Live in the present, live for the future.

But there is something about the path ahead that obsesses me - not the goal, but the path itself - look to the left ahead. Look to the right ahead. This is life.

Goals create direction, direction is your path. Path is your life, but your goals aren't.

Sounds a lot like the Tao, I know - maybe there's something there.

This is a favorite book/site. You can get the book on Amazon, I bought it as an ebook, and of course, COULDN'T PRINT IT.

Thats the big risks with e-books - what if you really like it and want someone else to read it?

What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson

In some ways, I'm actually looking forward to unemployment. Un-encumberment. Un-earnings (thats not good). I like the fact that there are branches on my path. While you are employed the branches aren't obvious.

I was unemployed about 2 years ago - but I was desperate. There seemed to be other branches, but I didn't feel I had the time (money) to pursue them. I needed a job NOW.

So my expertise leads to one thing - my interest another.

So here's my great woulda, coulda, shoulda.... I used to work in Radio Shack stores in Manhatten - in walks an older man, asking about AC-DC converters for a generator to a DC outboard motor. After doing the math and making the phone calls, I ask "So... what do you want to do with these"?

He tells me that he's a geology professor at a nearby university, and that he thinks he knows of an emerald deposit up a river in Ecuador. He's going to take a couple of rafts up there.

Thinking fast (or maybe not thinking at all), I say "need help?"

He invited me to come - pay my own way, split half the find (if there is one). He speaks the Indian languages, but watch out for the bandits, they tend to shoot first, ask questions later.

Pure Indiana Jones - I shoulda