BorntoDo20P

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Born to Do

The Practical Guide To

Loving Your Work

Laurel Donnellan



Published by

Copyright ©2010 by Laurel DonnellanThreeGiantLeaps is a registered trademark.

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For Paul- the courageous, big-hearted Champion of Dreams





Contents

Let’s Get St rted I

An Overview f ThreeGiantLeaps V

Study Guide Visualizations VI

The 3 R’s VIII

Start a Born to Do Group X

Leap One The Past: Be Connected 1

Chapter 1 Courage

Practice: Be a Visionary

5

Chapter 2 Faith Practice: Connect to Soul

23

Chapter 3 Awareness Practice: Learn from the Past

39

Chapter 4 Truth Practice: Challenge LimitingBeliefs

51

Leap Two The Present: Be Yourself 61

Chapter 5 BalancePractice: Pay Attention to Health

65



Chapter 6 LovePractice: Honor All Relationships

79

Chapter 7 AbundancePractice: Grow Prosperous Habits

95

Chapter 8 Authenticity Practice: Find and DevelopPassions

1111

Leap Three The Future: Be Your Best 121

Chapter 9 Creativity Practice: Play with Possibilities

125

Chapter 10 Integrity Practice: Claim a Purpose

137

Chapter 11 Vision Practice: See Soul Work

151

Chapter 12 CommitmentPractice: Do Remarkable Work 163

Internet Resources Internet References

About the Author



Success is not the key tohappiness. Happiness is the key tosuccess. If you love what you are

doing, you will be successful.

Albert Schweitzer





Let’s Get Started

What were you born to do?

Answer this question, and a lifetime of career fulfillment is

yours. The trouble is, most people don’t allow themselves to

ask the question. Work is what you have to do, to get what

you want or need. You work to feed your family, move out of

your parent’s home, put yourself through school, or afford a

house, car, or vacation. Sometimes the end, justifies the

means. Sometimes the means, just isn’t meaningful. Work

that doesn’t fit you takes a toll on your heath, happiness,

relationships and general well-being. Born to Do is all about

making what you do, fit who you are.

The ThreeGiantLeaps methodology is the backbone of all

our programs. This proven system combines positive

psychology with ancient wisdom adapted from tribal

cultures. The assignments in this book have been effectively

used by people from all walks of life, including executives,

empty nesters, artists, and students to make positive and

profound changes in their lives.

Change can come from your own decisions, or be out of

your control. Either way, transitions can be stressful,

whether you decide to move on yourself, or you are pushed

out of your job. Feeling trapped in unfulfilling work and not

knowing how to move on, or what to move on to, can also

make you anxious and unhappy.

I



You can bolster your ability to successfully navigate

transitions by gaining clarity about your own strengths and

goals. Born to Do is designed to give you the tools you need

as you develop new skills and change priorities throughout

your life.

You may be looking for work, or feeling overwhelmed by

your current obligations. You may be thinking you don’t

have the time to start something new right now. However, to

gain long-term happiness and success, you must approachyour best future with consideration and direction.

In the soul searching process that will lead you to your

purpose and vision, you must commit to three disciplines

that work together - Reflect, Research, and Resolve:

Reflect

Some answers to finding your dream job may be found by

reflecting on what has worked, and not worked for you in

the past. Allowing time for reflection is critical, whether you

find it in meditation, your imagination or from those “aha”

moments that seem to come out of nowhere when you are

doing something like sitting on the beach, playing with your

dog, shopping, or doing yard work. The biggest obstacle to

finding your purpose is our society’s addiction to being

busy. Part of the practice of reflection is to create guilt-free

time to do nothing, which is easier said than done!

Research Before you choose the absolute best use of your passions

and purpose for the future, you have to research and

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explore the possibilities in a way that works for you. Put

aside time to wander bookstores and libraries and take

notes from books and periodicals, channel-surf and stop to

take notes on shows that pique your interest, or browse the

internet and bookmark sites that interest you. If you like

shopping or traveling plan an excursion and notice what

intrigues you. If you prefer talking face-to-face, arrange to

meet with people who are doing work you find interesting to

hear how they did it. If more than one of these ideas appeal

to you, do several.

Resolve

Before you can create your best future, you have to take a

leap of faith. You have to commit and believe in the process.

Whether you work through this book by yourself or with the

help of a TGL coach, you have to believe that finding your

soul work or calling is possible. Everyone can find the right

work, including you! The journey itself will be filled with

obstacles and doubts. You must be willing to work through

difficulties and get help when you become frustrated. It is

essential to make up your mind to complete the process, no

matter how long it takes. Stick with it, don’t give up!

As you journey to find your calling, you will have to revisit all

three practices to keep moving ahead. Although this book is

short, it is not a quick fix. Finding and following a calling

requires perseverance. It will be up to you to stay the

course, but if you do, you will reap the rewards for the rest

of your life.

III



IV



An Overview of ThreeGiantLeaps

This three-part patented process will help you examine your

past, assess your present, and plan your future through the

lens of calling, or what I call “soul work”. Soul work is the

absolute best use of your passions and purpose. Each part

encompasses four principles to consider and act on. Each

chapter expands upon a principle and contains activities

that put that principle into practice.

About thirteen years ago, when I decided to become a

career coach, I searched for a method that would resonatewith me. I invested thousands of dollars attending

workshops and one-on-one sessions with well-known

V



career coaches. I pursued a master’s program in

Organizational Psychology at Columbia University and also

studied at a prestigious life/organizational coaching school

in California called the Hudson Institute. In addition, I

explored models of personal growth including yoga and

traditional Native American Ceremonies.

I came to the conclusion that to fully leverage my

experience and education, I had to develop my own

method. The existing programs I studied did not havecalling at the center of the method. They did not cover the

complexities to finding and following an authentic path. I

came up with a complete system that will allow you to be

true to your own beliefs, address your relationships at work

and at home, improve both your physical and financial

health, and tap into your innate creativity.

VI



Where is my freeAudio Companion CD?

At ThreeGiantLeaps, we believe in compassionatecommerce that blends sound business practices with acommitment to social responsibility.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,CDs and DVDs are typically manufactured by combiningvarious mined metals (aluminum, gold, silver and nickel)with petroleum-derived plastics, lacquers and dyes.

Given their complex makeup, CDs are almost impossible torecycle. Most municipal recycling programs won't acceptthem.

In addition, jewel cases are mostly made out ofpolyvinyl chloride, an inexpensive petrochemical-basedplastic that is notoriously difficult to recycle and has beenlinked to increasing health problems of people who live nearrecycling plants.

So, we decided not to include a hard copy CD with thisbook in order to reduce our waste and impact on the earth.

You can download the accompanying Born To Do audio fileat www.threegiantleaps.com/cd.rar

If you would prefer a CD in a hard case, we will ship one toyou. Please send your request for this, including your snailmail address to [email protected]

Thanks for your understanding and long live the planet!

VII

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Study Guidee

How to get the most out of this book

ThreeGiantLeaps Visualizations: Use the

accompanying audio file or CD

Many people find visualizations to be extremely valuable inthis process. They find it stimulates the creative side of theirbrain and makes their work more productive. If you are oneof those people who just canʼt sit still and silent, I urge you to just give it a try over a few days. Once you get past theawkwardness, you may surprise yourself and find it reallydoes help. If it just doesnʼt work for you, thatʼs okay.

Determine what works for you, and stick with it!

Please read this carefully before you listen to the audio:

This CD or download includes twelve different guided

visualizations. Their purpose is to transport you to new

places, help you develop your relaxation skills, and expand

your ability to imagine and create a positive future.

The goal is to tune in to your subconscious, practice being

creative and expand your point of reference. For some of

you, this may be difficult at first since it requires you to be

still and quietly turn inward. Here are some tips:

✦ Find a quiet, private place to sit for the visualization

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✦ Use writing, art or conversation to further the

exercise after you complete the visualization if you

are not getting clear information

✦ Have someone you trust listen to the visualization

with you and discuss the results

✦ If it helps, listen to the same visualization several

times in a row, or once a day for several days before

you go on to the next visualization

✦ At the end of each exercise, record the results in your

book, or use your own journal for this

✦ DO NOT GIVE UP! Working through difficulty will help

develop your ability to relax and to create a more

fulfilling future.

IX



Use the 3 R’s

Check in with the three main steps to this process: Reflect,

Research, Resolve. Take notes at the end of each chapter.

Keep these questions in mind as you proceed:

Reflect: Why are your reading this book at this point in

your life?

Research: How can you continue to systematically

research possibilities as you do this work including looking

for new jobs, analyzing educational opportunities, and

brainstorming new business ideas?

X



Resolve: What will keep you going when you have doubts

or run into obstacles?

XI



Start a Born to Do Group (optional)

If you have friends, family members, or significant others

who are looking to develop their dreams, you may want to

work through this process together. Meet in person weekly

to discuss your progress and share your story. You may

want to rotate locations and have the host provide

refreshments, or have all the participants pitch in for a

potluck. Each member should have their own workbook and

audio. You will want to set aside two hours for each session.

The purpose of the group is to offer support, help you make

progress and, of course, have some fun. You are not in the

group to "fix" other people, since this energy is better spent

focusing on your own work.

Honor each other by keeping these Born to Do GroupAgreements at every meeting:

✦ We agree to support each other in the process of

clarifying and going for our dreams

✦ We agree to suspend judgment, as best we can

✦ We agree to listen with respect

✦ We agree to speak about what has meaning for each

of us

✦ We agree to not give unsolicited advice

✦ We agree to ask for feedback if we want it

XII



Pre-work for week one:

Give people two weeks notice for the first meeting. Each

member should buy the book, read the introduction, and dothe chapter one exercises. Here is a sample agenda to use

each week:

1. Check-in, one at a time. Review the highlights and

insights from the previous week. What was fun,

insightful, easy or difficult?

2. Read the quote and introduction to exercises for the

next week out loud and discuss your reactions to it.

3. Offer your concerns and discuss any resistance you

may have.

4. Provide each other with encouragement. Set a time

for the next meeting, preferably the same time each

week.

5. Plan a party or celebration for the last week.

If you need support or want to share a success or insights

during the week, it’s helpful to be available to one another

by phone or email or even pair up and meet in person

between meetings.

XIII



XIV



Part I The Past: Be Connected

In the first of three parts of our process, you will revisit yourpast to uncover what may be blocking your way on the

journey to finding and following your calling. The first part teaches four principles and practices that will begin to

illuminate your path to remarkable work. You will have anopportunity to take responsibility for your choices, makepeace with your past, and get in touch with your truepotential.

Courage

Resolve to have a positive future by reconnecting to whenyou were courageous in the past. Fuel your ability to be avisionary for your own life and work in the future.

Faith

Explore your personal set of beliefs and how you connect toyour purest sense of who you are. Your essence, what I callyour soul, is considered.

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Awareness

Take the time to learn from your past before you make a

transition. Look at your family, education and work historiesso you can make the best choices for your career based onwhat has, and hasn’t, worked for you.

Truth

Your ability to make a successful transition depends on howpositive you are about your future. Examine your thoughts in

a way that pushes you toward a place of possibility andpromise.

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It takes courage to grow upand turn out to bewho you really are.

e.e. cummings

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Chapter Onee

CouragePractice: Be a Visionary

I have always been fascinated with people who have

ambitious dreams about work and make them happen. My

grandfather was a self-made entrepreneur who built a

plumbing contracting business with his brother. My father

was always fascinated with science fiction and mechanics

as a young boy and ended up working as an engineer forIBM for over 40 years, seeing that company go from selling

adding machines to main frame computers to PCs. In my

corporate career, I had the privilege of working for Chuck

Feeney who co-founded Duty Free Shoppers (known now

as DFS) and was a pioneer in combining altruism with

business.

In the development of ThreeGiantLeaps, I researched,

sought out and interviewed many people who love what

they do for a living, including teachers, business people,

scientists, artists and entrepreneurs. In this study, I found

that they had a few things in common:

✦ When they work, they lose track of time

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In truth, you can no longer depend on organizational leaders

for career development. Companies don’t have the longevity

or stability they once had, and employees change jobs more

often. You will be better off having your own dreams and a

proactive plan for how to turn them into reality.

One of the definitions of courage is the state of mind or

spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or uncertainty

with self-possession, confidence, and resolution. I like this

definition because it does not say that courage is theabsence of fear but that it exists in the face of it.

How to practice being more courageous in your own life and

career is up to you. What is courageous for one person may

not be courageous for another. For one person speaking

what is on your mind can feel courageous, while others

would find that part of their daily routine. For some of my

clients, starting their own business after years in the

corporate world is their act of courage. Others stay in the

corporate world but become more vocal about how things

are done so they don’t compromise their values. For you,

courage may be facing gloomy economic reports, yet

vowing to be in work that you love by next year, knowing

you are not a statistic!

What is the most courageous thing you

have done in your past?

This is a question I put to all my clients. You can use thismemory to bolster your resolve as you face new challenges.

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Some people find this exercise easy. Some clients struggle

to come up with something themselves, but often I know

enough about them and their life story to elicit a recollection

of a brave act. I find it a great privilege to listen to thesestories. One executive in her late fifties recounted a story of

how she wrote her first feature as a cub reporter for a

newspaper. She had to enter a prison to interview an

inmate, despite strict security obstacles. A technology

entrepreneur told me about asking his wife to marry him

after only knowing her for two weeks. Others have told me

stories of meeting physical challenges like running a

marathon or climbing a mountain or overcoming a personal

tragedy like the loss of a loved one.

These stories demonstrate each person’s ability to have a

goal and work through a process of attaining it. This is a

fundamental skill in creating work that you love.

Over time, my own answer to this question has changed. In

the past I have recounted cycling from Seattle to San

Francisco, or completing a 14,000 mile solo car and

camping adventure, or maybe completing a four-year Vision

Quest. All of these acts of courage pale in comparison to

the resolve I needed to create and follow my own calling.

In the last thirteen years I have dealt with countless

naysayers, the wrong business partners, delays, financial

hardships and other challenges but I have stuck to my guns

and do not regret any of it. In the end, I wake up every day

to work that is perfectly aligned with my purpose and

passions and makes a difference in the lives of people who

go after their dreams and their families.

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I continue to do what I do because these people trust me

with their hopes and ambitions. I am grateful to them for

keeping me honest and courageous. If it was not for their

confidence, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love.

For some people, the principle of courage and the practice

of being a visionary is strengthened from surviving failure,

learning from it, and keeping on track despite it. Paul

Lanzarotti, CEO of ThreeGiantLeaps, is fearless when it

comes to making things happen, despite obstacles that may

stop others in their tracks. A story from his teenage years

clearly demonstrates this.

Paul was sixteen, sitting in a math class in his London

school, when he heard of something that would change the

course of his life. Four of his friends had formed a rock band

and they would be practicing in a shed at the back of the

school during lunch times. Paul was invited to the “secret”

venue and walked in mid-song. He listened and immediately

realized he needed to learn to play drums. He would

eventually travel for three hours to get to a half hour lesson

each week. Within six months of unrelenting practice, he

became the band’s drummer and they made their firstrecording.

Soon the group was booked for their first gig with four other

bands for an audience of over 200. Paul’s band worked hard

at preparing a twelve song set of primarily U2 and Beatles

songs. They were very nervous about their debut. Once they

got on stage and looked out into the audience, this

nervousness turned to dread!

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The audience was filled with black-clad Goths who were

expecting raunchy punk rock - not the Beatles! The band

completed their first set facing feedback from their audience

that was worse than boos: silent disdain followed by slowclapping from three or four of the sizeable crowd. Paul not

only survived this, but eventually became the drummer for

the band that headlined that night. He enjoyed some

success over the next decade, performing internationally as

a professional drummer.

This experience has helped him face other obstacles,

including climbing the corporate ladder without a college

degree, and launching our company with little capital. In this

time Paul has pushed himself to learn how to produce and

edit video, design books, and convince most of our venders

to donate services or delay payment so we could bootstrap

our company. He has gained my confidence and admiration

in the process.

Paul has this advice for anyone following his or her dreams:

“No one learns to juggle without dropping a few balls and

you have to be willing to be bad at something before you

can expect to be any good at it. If you are passionate aboutwhat you are doing it is much easier to be courageous.”

You don’t necessarily have to create your own business like

Paul to be a visionary. The following story demonstrates

how the principle of courage and the practice of being a

visionary can work within an organization. Gerry Mattios

was a junior level consultant at an international consulting

firm based in London when he chose me as his coach.

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Three years later, he still works for the same firm, but he has

been promoted three times and now lives in China.

Gerry originally did our One2One program beginning in thespring of 2006 to help him clarify his vision and build

confidence. Later he did an advanced program which he

completed in the spring of 2008. This second program gave

him support to develop his leadership skills while he

continued to take actions on his vision. He paid for his

programs out of his own pocket, investing in his own

development rather than depending on his company’s

leadership programs. He gives the One2One coaching a lot

of credit for his accomplishments. In addition to advancing

his career and moving to Asia, Gerry married and had his

first child while we worked together. Our collaboration has

been extremely rewarding. Recently I interviewed him to

hear how working with a coach has helped him.

Gerry has spent time contemplating his recent life changes

and was able to give me a very succinct and thoughtful

response. Here are the five main ways ThreeGiantLeaps

helped him:

1. Gave him confidence and a better understanding of

the value he brings to an organization.

2. Helped him reconcile his past family and work history

in a way that gave him a deeper understanding of

what he has accomplished in his life and how.

3. Gave him a clear long-term career vision that

included going to China, being involved with aviation,

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and integrating a social service component into his

work.

4. Supported a more positive outlook that gave him thecourage to aggressively look for opportunities and

communicate his aspirations to colleagues and

bosses who could help him manifest his goals.

5. Provided tools for visualizing a better future state,

meditating on this future, and making it real.

The principle of courage and the practice of being a

visionary is the foundation of ThreeGiantLeaps and a thread

that will run through your work throughout this process.

Use your own sense of courage to keep your commitment

to follow through and complete this book.

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Courage Activities

Courage Activity One: Career Change Assessment

At ThreeGiantLeaps, our coaches assess each client beforeand after they work with us to indicate how close they are to

doing what they are born to do.

Our one-of-a-kind assessment will give you a visual analysis

of how close your current or most recent line of work aligns

to your best future. If you have not done so already, go to

the ThreeGiantLeaps website and take the free Career

Change Assessment.

Unlike many assessments, it will not tell you what kind of

work you should be doing, but it will confirm your decision

to make necessary changes and will show you in detail the

areas in which you need the most help. Most existing testsdon’t consider satisfaction levels or that it is impossible to

predict what jobs will even exist three years from now. They

may tell you what you are good at, but not what will make

you thrive.

Write your insights from reviewing your report here:

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Born to Do


http://www.threegiantleaps.com/career_change_assessment_1.php









Courage Activities 14

Born to Do



Courage Activities

Courage Activity Two: Building on Strengths

For this activity make two lists of up to ten things you cando in the next month to build up your courage muscles. One

list is for things related to work and your career and the

other list is for areas of your life including health,

relationships, and money. Pick at least one thing from each

list and do it!

Make sure whatever action you choose feels like a risk and

is also aligned with your values. For example, if one of your

values is to only do things that feel safe, but you have

alligator-wrestling on your list, you may want to reconsider.

However if you value physical activities that feel risky and

challenging, go for it!

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Courage Activities

Courage Activity Three: 3 R’s Wrap-Up

Reflection: What insights do you have about yourself fromthis chapter? What is the result of your audio visualization

on courage?

Research: What have you learned in your ongoing research

about possibilities for work and life?

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Courage Activities

Resolve: What challenges are you facing and how can you

strengthen your resolve to keep going?

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BorntoDo20P