Now on the serious side. Ok you’ve finished uni and have gained employment in an office job in your career path or at least something interesting. What to do next?

Whether you are in your desired role or not, the process of developing yourself has not finished, in fact you are probably less than half-way there despite your recent three years at university.

I recommend finding a professional organisation for your industry if one exists. Becoming a member of a professional society can do a number of things for your career. First of all, you can get recognised in your profession and commence your path to become a certified professional. It allows you to come into contact with peers in your industry. Thirdly, you are then more aware of continuous education opportunities.

While it’s great to have a degree, so do most people in professional employment. Getting certified, taking on further studies and creating networks will help you excel much faster than your average graduate.

Once I graduated, I joined the Australian Computer Society (ACS). Due to the degree I studied, I was able to get recognition straight away. I became a certified technologist and ICT practitioner. As long as I continue to invest 20 hours each year in my personal development, I will eventually be granted the title of ‘professional’. In this time, I’ve become aware of what types of work exist in my industry and have attending interesting lectures.

A professional isn’t automatically a professional just because he/she was able to pass all the units in that course and receive a degree. Having an external body recognise your industry qualifications compliments those letters that appear on your business card after your name.

The first thought that came to mind was “I don’t have a vocation, I’m not a teacher and not a nurse” so I asked if he meant what’s the motto I live by.

It was then established that neither of us had a clear grasp on the word “vocation”. One of us thought that vocation meant your occupation or career aspirations while the other thought it meant some sort of principled attitude to life.

So the reasoning behind the question was that besides our occupation, there isn’t much else that we contribute to during our lives. I made the comment that when we die, nobody stands up and remarks at how good you could code in SQL, implying that our jobs are of minor importance in the grand scheme of things.

Our current job is just one aspect of our lives but it doesn’t define us as a human being. That’s not where we have our biggest impact on humanity (for most of us at least).

This is what my friend wrote on the matter:

I think an occupation can fall into 3 categories: a Job ( lil satisfaction) a Carear ( career improvement and life fulfillment until retirement) and then your vocation (the activity that is your birthright and something you were born to do, complete life fulfillment)

I’ll finish with a quote on vocation that I found on the web:

Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.

-Viktor E. Frankl

This last year has been good for my family and I. Many things were accomplished and certain chapters of my life closed. I look confidently towards a new year with much more to gain.

I´m at a great place and time in my life. I can go forth and begin a succuessful career. To find success however, I must find it today and cherish the things I have around me.

This year I will focus on my health and mind. I hope you all achieve your aspirations for this year. If you need help with tracking your resolutions, try 43things. Good luck for 2011, things can only get better.

There was only one sport that was dear to me as I was  growing up. The sport was soccer or as we call it these days, football. I’m the first to admit that my efforts on the field were mediocre at best. I was nowhere near as good as my name would allow people to believe.

That’s not the point of this though. The point is that for a child who lives and breathes soccer, the next best thing to the ball itself are the stars who we admire and aspire to play like. When I was a child there were two players that I idolised. Argentina’s Diego Maradona and Brazil’s Romario.

Back in 1994, the USA hosted the World Cup. Snickers and McDonalds were major sponsors (the marketing lasted the test of time). Maradona played for Argentina and after a convincing win against Greece, he was tested for drugs and the results came up positive. I didn’t know what the implications of drugs were at the time, the only sense I made of it was that it’s cheating.

Years later, with more access to information (the internet) I was able to learn about this Maradona. I even read his auto biography in 2003. Despite all his errors and bad decisions, I don’t think I’ve ever been as impressed by a footballer as I am by Maradona. He is much more than a football player, he is a legend – for various reasons.

Here is a tribute by Manu Chao

If I were Maradona, I’d live just like him

If I were Maradona, in front of any goal post

If I were Maradona, I’d never make mistakes

If I were Maradona, lost anywhere

Life is a lottery, every day and night

Life is a lottery, higher and higher (x2)

If I were Maradona, I’d live just like him

A thousand firecrackers, a thousand friends

and anything my way, at a thousand miles

If I were Maradona I’d go on Mondovision

To yell out to FIFA, that they are the real thieves!

Life is a lottery, every day and night

Life is a lottery, higher and higher (x2)

If I were Maradona, I’d live just like him

because life is a football, that you live skin deep

If I were Maradona, with a match to win

If I were Maradona, with one hand on the alter

Life is a lottery, every day and night

Life is a lottery, higher and higher…

I ask myself why I decide to write blog posts while I should be reading and preparing a presentation for university. I wait, I sit down and find ways to distract myself while looking busy.

Everything needs to get done first before I can advance. Stuff that I had put off months ago now looks simple and ready to get done. Enough!

I cannot fool myself. I’m aware of the consequences of not fulfilling my tasks. It should not be out of fear that I get something done but out of satisfaction for the benefits the result will bring.

I am not a procrastinator, I am a dreamer. I believe in myself, in my talents and in my potential. I am proud of what I’ve accomplished and I know I’ll be proud of my next result.

I am the bridge between my dream and reality. What gets created in my mind must be re-created in this world. I will sacrifice, I will work hard. I shall accomplish, what I’ve been postponing for days.