I had a delicious conversation yesterday with Salem, Mass. based event planner Jennifer Saphier. I learned something very cool about how she came to her life's work.
She pointed out to me that she was always volunteering for stuff, even in high school, and this continued through college. Although she worked as an event planner for others upon graduating, a change in circumstance found her doing her first solo gig. One short-term assignment led to another, and she was launched doing what she already knew to be something she loved.
All this is wonderful information. But I dug for MORE. "What is the overall skill, the thing that you love doing that makes this the right fit for you? How can someone see themselves in your story? How might they come to know their thing, too?"
She thought for a bit, then answered that what truly makes her right for this work is that she LOVES seeing things through to the end. She loves all the pre-planning, which is the greater part of the job.
"A lot of people love planning parties, but after a few months of it, they hate it - all the work, all the stuff that you do beforehand. I love that part of it" she said.
Voila, y, c'est ca.
That's my frenchiness for what Jennifer did that others don't yet know to do: She was able to define it through just a little more thoroughly to what the meta-talent was in her life's work - the joy of all the pre-planning and seeing a project through from beginning to end. "It's really project management" said Jen.
Think you've done all the work you should on defining your passion? Can you take it just one step further and define your meta-talent? Don't worry a shred about how you can make money with this talent, or what you will DO with this talent. Just define it. Write it down. I can help you with the rest. A book could help you with the rest. But do this one thing for yourself.
Let me know what you find.
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