Pursue the path to "I really like what I do"

​I recently listened to an interview with 70-year old Nick Saban, head coach of the Alabama college football team. Anyone who follows the sport is aware of Saban's success over the years.

When a reporter asked Saban how he explains his success, he boiled it down to fun. "I really like what I do," he said.

I've told my sons many times when talking about their futures - don't follow the path to rich, follow the path to fun. Find something to grind at every day that fills your heart with so much joy that your bank account becomes an afterthought.

I do fear bank accounts scare a lot of kids away from pursuing something they'd really like doing.

Saban went on to say in this interview, "It's always a challenge. I like the challenge. We complain about the grind but we love the grind too. The grind is what keeps us going."

I personally don't believe everyone is doing a job that makes them love the grind. For too many, the grind takes a toll.

There have been a lot of opinions about the post-pandemic job market where a lot of job openings remain vacant. I believe one big reason for this is during the pandemic, a lot of workers found grinds they liked doing. Grinds that have become permanent replacements for grinds they had no idea how much they didn't like doing.

Some folks have found there are expenses in life that aren't worth the grind. Some folks have discovered there is unexpected value in being able to say "I really like what I do."

Saban is north of 70 years old now. So he hears a lot of questions about retirement. And he always says, as long as I like what I'm doing, and I'm doing it well, I'm going to keep doing it.

As I get older, I don't find myself looking for a path to retirement. More than ever, I find myself looking for a path that will allow me to like the grind for as long as I am physically able to get out of bed and grind.

It's why I write every morning. I get the pleasure of starting every morning grinding away at something I really like doing. It's my way of waking up and giving thanks for another day to do something that gives life and not eats away at it.

It's Monday. What is something you really like to do? What is the grind you complain about but really love grinding away at? What is the challenge that scares you, yet - keeps sucking you in for another day.

Because really, we all need a life that sucks us into another day. Too many of us are trying to talk ourselves into another day - it gets exhausting. We need to live lives that leave us so curious about our next episode - our next season - that we can't tune out.

I think that starts with doing something every day that leaves you saying, "I really like what I do."

Maybe it's not your job. It doesn't have to be. It just needs to be something. Something you really like doing.