I was recently inspired by reading Jonathan Fields’ excellent new Firefly Manifesto: Remix on ChangeThis.com. Field is the author of the book Career Renegade and the author of several blogs on entrepreneurship and marketing.
In the Firefly Manifesto: Remix, Fields talks about how the global recession is an ideal time to rethink what you want to do to make a living. Yawning chasms of opportunity and new ways of working are opening on every side, if we only have eyes to see them. Today’s powerful online tools make it relatively easy and inexpensive to research gaps in service, information, education, product, community and access that have been created or broadened by the economic downturn.
Smart people are recasting what they know and what they’re passionate about into blogs, information products, consulting and other forms of thought leadership. And they’re positioning themselves to be massively successful as the economy rebounds in the next several years. He explains in this excerpt from his manifesto:
“I wonder what might happen if, instead of holding up money, merchandise and the illusion of security as the currency of success, you valued relationships, purpose and impact instead.What might unfold if you identified what you loved to do first, then tapped the wealth of tools, strategies and technologies that have only come onto the scene in the last few years to build a substantial living around what makes your entire life smile?”
Consider what’s now possible, given the 21st-century tools at our disposal:
- You can acquire massive amounts of knowledge in the blink of an eye.
- You can test and research ideas online for free or very little money.
- You can establish yourself as the go-to person in your area of passion and begin to build a following — a community.
- You can build a business plan based on the proven demand of your community, rather than best-guess assumptions, and then…
- Give people what they want, when they want it, in the way they want it, at a price they can afford.
A key enabler of this revolution is mind mapping software.
Why? Because it helps you to do the following types of career renegade tasks:
- Research what you’d love to do, and the pain points of people in that profession, industry or other pursuit.
- Brainstorm and capture ideas for all the ways in which you will add value and create thought leadership.
- Keep track of people who are already doing what you envision and web sites that contain the knowledge you need – learn from them, and adapt their winning ideas to your needs.
- Get clarity on your action plan to make it happen.
- Monitor your progress and make course corrections.
As Jonathan explains: “While the pundits scream about the sky falling, most people are running for cover, ducking into doorways and buying umbrellas. But, a small group of savvy entrepreneurs and career renegades are out their with buckets waiting to catch it, bottle it, and sell it. They’re finding, tapping and exploiting gaps, and creating opportunities that will set the stage for the next great wave of passion-driven, massively prosperous entrepreneurship.”
So if you’re trying to figure out what to do next in your career – whether you’ve been laid off or are stuck in a dead-end J.O.B. that you loathe – now’s the time to fire up your mind mapping software and get to work capturing insights and ideas, and crafting a new career, a new direction that is better aligned with your interests and passions.
And if you want to learn more about Jonathan Fields’ career renegade tips and strategies, I highly recommend his lifestyle blog, Awake at the Wheel.
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