Total Immersion

Just because you can't up and leave your current career for your dream job or favorite hobby doesn't mean you can't immerse yourself in it. Getting involved is the only way to find out whether you really want something or not, to see if it makes you happy-or to get so good at it, you make it your career.

Today, take the first step towards total immersion. Jump online and make a list of web sites, newsletters, magazines and books related to your interest. Then pat yourself on the back--way to go after what you want!

Sign up for daily emails that send you news about your new field of interest. Subscribe to related magazines, borrow books from the library and search online for still more information and advice. How have experts made that career work for them? Or in the case of a hobby like painting or woodworking, how do you turn it into a career?

The idea here isn't to make a radical change all at once. You simply want to allow your mind to understand what could be possible now and in the future. Perhaps you'll start spending more time doing the things you love as a result--and whether that leads to a better work-life balance or an all-out career shift, you'll have invested in the most precious resource there is. (That's you, in case you didn't get it.)

So, if you weren't reading this, what would you be doing right now? Tell us all about what really makes you excited.