“Progress is a nice word, but change is its motivator.
And change has its enemies.”
- Robert F. Kennedy
I am all about the unconventional lately.
Six months ago I was waking up a few days a week with a sick sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew what it was; I hated going to my job. Not my work, but rather going to that place. I still believe I enjoyed my work, but the institution I worked at and the people were not right for me. Looking back, I can say that it was eating at my soul and visibly affecting me. Eventually, I sorted through those feelings and asked myself the hard questions: what do I really want from this job and my life?
I developed a plan to make the situation work and enjoy it again or leave it. In the end, the response was “there was no way to meet in the middle and make this work.” Side thought: I think people often make decisions without giving them a chance because they would really rather not have to deal with change. By the end of those discussions, I saw through it all and agreed the best way forward for both of us, was to shake hands and part our separate ways. It was the only option left to me to get something out of that situation.
And it was the best thing to happen. It’s pushed me into the unconventional life that I have dreamed about. I finally have the freedom to pursue the projects that I wish.
My current pursuits:
- I have created a photo essay / coffee table style book of my recent travels around Australia.
- I plan to put together more photo essays of the landscapes and cityscapes I have encountered while traveling.
- I am writing my first book to be self-published.
- I am learning how to program for the iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch) platform.
- I am conscious of the food I eat by shopping at a local farmer’s market for fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. This supports local produce, organic farming and is much less expensive than the big grocery stores.
- My fitness goal is to incorporate some activity every day from the following: joint mobility routine, Krav Maga, body weight training, learning yoga, the P90X program and good old-fashioned running & swimming. I am not trying for long workouts every day, but rather to be active every day for some amount of time that I find comfortable. Leo Babauta’s The Power of Less taught me that it is better to set small easily manageable daily tasks to reinforce creating a long-standing habit.
- I want to learn meditation. The little I’ve done, feels great.
I am also considering a “One-Year, Self-Directed, Alternative Graduate School Experience”. I came across this concept reading Chris Guillebeau’s book The Art of Non-Conformity. This concept lays out his ideas for achieving an experience on a par with what many people pay $30,000 and more for at Graduate Schools today.
Some of the ideas he lists are:
- Subscribe to the Economist and read every issue (Cost: Digital subscription for the year US$110. It’s even cheaper if you were to access the digital version and direct the print version to family or friends and split the cost).
- Learn the names of every country, world capital and current world leader.
- Buy a round-the-world plane ticket or use frequent flyer miles.
- Read the basic texts of the major world religions: the Torah, the New Testament, the Koran and the teachings of Buddha. (Cost: free online materials)
- Subscribe to a language-learning podcast and listen to an episode a day, 5 times a week for a year. Attend a local language club once a week to practice. (Cost: free)
- Acquire three new skills of your choice. Don’t chase expert level, but rather proficiency.
- Read 30 nonfiction books and 20 classic novels. (Cost: free using a library)
- Become comfortable with basic presentation and public speaking skills by joining a local Toastmasters club. (Cost: about $25)
- Set your browser’s homepage to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Randompage and every time you open your browser you’ll have the opportunity to learn one new random thing.
- Learn to write better by listening to the Grammar Girl podcast on iTunes and buying Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. (Cost: $9)
I think this is an amazing set of ideas for personal growth. So far The Art of Non-Conformity has been a terrific read. It is filled with well thought out ideas and different perspectives from the world we are presented with today. I highly recommend it to anyone else who’s looking for another perspective to their day-to-day life. Chris also offers a comparative analysis of what he gained from his own Graduate school experience versus his alternative independent learning experience afterwards. I wish other people would read and consider that before determining whether Graduate school is really a necessity for them or the belief that it is.
ps, I believe in the unconventional so much that at a young age I had the word defiant tattooed on myself. I had always wondered if I would outgrow the tattoo and regret it. Turns out, it is just as relevant to me now; the idea has just matured along with me.
