I saw Matt Frost interviewed this morning on the breakfast news programme.
He has been a blacksmith, a stuntman and a pizza delivery boy but now Matt Frost has finally completed his challenge of doing a different job for every week of the year.
In some respects, he has done what perhaps many of us would have liked to do – try different things to find that which drives our passions. I’ve done a few in my time – the dreadful, soul-destroying, menial low-paid and thankless tasks such as stacking shelves in Sainsbury’s (without doubt, the worst job I have ever done in my life) – although, to be fair, working at the Post Office over the Christmas period of 2010 was equally menial but nothing like so devastatingly misery making. Perhaps the Post Office is a better employer? I’ve also done stuff that left me uninspired – such as working in a call centre and stuff I’ve liked such as being a driving instructor.
Being a signaller on the railway was one of my more satisfying jobs and a part of me still misses it, but training and assessment – currently with a range of rail clients – and motorcycle instructing leaves me realising that I am, without doubt, extremely lucky. I am not – as one of the *regular trolls who plagues liberal/libertarian blogs would like you to believe, either bankrupt or a failure in my career (and my marriage is just fine, ta very much). Indeed, I am at the top of my game, doing work that drives my passions and loving every minute of it. I’ve worked my way through the tough times doing work I either was indifferent about or loathed, but did it because that was the way to get out of the mess I was in, rather than expect someone else to do it for me. Now I am doing work that I love. I am also at saturation point. This past year I was turning it away, which went against the grain somewhat, but there are only so many days in the week. I don’t need to do what Matt Frost did, but my lifetime of work has seen a similar variance and perhaps a similar outcome – I know what I am good at, what drives me and what I am best suited for.
For, it is true, if you do a job that you love, you will never work for a living again.
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*For those of you who were wondering, he is this little prick.
I’m so pleased (and I bet many others are too) that you’ve survived that shitty time. Kudos to you for knuckling down and working your way out of the mess. But I still envy you your time in France.
Yeah, I still have regrets about having to give it up. Always will.
I agree, engaging in your passion as a way of earning a living is a great life. I came to France a single man with nothing to lose, I fell on my feet here and although people like Hollande make life difficult, I can never see myself returning to the U.K. for longer than a week at most.