Page 110 - Talane Miedaner - Coach Yourself to a New Career_ 7 Steps to Reinventing Your Professional Life (2010)

98 COACH YOURSELF TO A NEW CAREER

worth a darn! I’m not the first person to grow up in the shadow
of a greater talent and assume that I’m not sufficiently talented
in my own right.
Take some time to think of things you did as a child with-
out any prompting. They may or may not be the source of a new
career, but they will definitely lead to some activities you can do
as an adult that recharge and energize you. There are home mov-
ies of me playing in the mud. If there was a mud puddle, I’d be
sitting right in the middle of it as happy as can be. I even ate the
mud. No surprise that I was drawn to pottery as an adult. It is
one of the most relaxing and grounding hobbies I have tried. I
love the feel of the clay between my fingers—always have. And
some of my pieces were good enough that the shop owner sold
them in her front window in New York City. So, hey, there may
be a few pieces of “Talane-ware” out there yet. Who knows but I
might just become a professional potter in my retirement.
One client said that she used to have a game she called “follow
the cat”—she’d follow the family cat and let it lead her all over the
house or the town. To this day she is lured by the unknown—not
knowing what will happen or where things will go. She delights in
exploring and having adventures. The adult version of this game is
to book a holiday to a foreign country and explore the territory!
Even if these assorted lists don’t
lead to a potential new career, they will
No one can be exactly lead to activities that give you loads of
like me. Sometimes energy and are worth doing as hobbies
even I have trouble for that reason alone. I’ve yet to come
doing it. across someone who doesn’t want more
energy! Kids are full of energy because
—TALLULAH BANKHEAD they are always doing things that give
them energy. You can recapture the
energy of your childhood by simply
doing the adult version of your childhood pastimes. If you aren’t
sure of your direction, just experiment; you’ll know you’ve found
something that truly fits when you feel really great after doing it.