#pick yourself

What are you waiting for?

Why can’t you organize a study group to work through a difficult Udemy course? Why can’t you pick yourself to be a successful musician (rather than waiting for a record company to do it)? Why can’t you organize a petition to get an environmental ordnance passed through your local government? Why can’t you start that small marketing agency on the side and build it up to your full time gig? Why…

So here’s an idea. It feels big.

What if you only work for yourself? Like always?

Being in school, there is always this potential (though fuzzy) employer lurking about somewhere in your mind: If I do this, it will look bad on my CV. Recruiters won’t like it if I spend four months photographing trees. I need to pick up skill X, because it is required.

Now consider yourself your own employer. That doesn’t mean you can’t work a 9-to-5-job. That’s just some longterm freelancing your boss (you!) decides to take on for your company (you!).

What would you spend your time with? Which skills would you learn? What do you want to be good at? Maybe now that you work for yourself, you have the urgent feeling that you could do more, so much more.

To me, this idea is exhiliarating. It makes me feel giddy and pumped up.

"The only way for me to do what I love (play the flute, trade stocks, volunteer with kids, spread the word about my cause...) is to get picked."

This is, to be really frank, nonsense. If, for example, you graduated from the Eastman School of Music, there are many ways to play the cello that don't involve auditioning for an orchestra. You can play house concerts, you can play on the street, you can build your own tribe, you can organize your own ad hoc orchestra. None of these things are official, none of these things are automatic, none of these things are guaranteed. So?