DiscoverSelf-Help & Self-Improvement

You're Not Your Job: Going Above and Beyond for Yourself

By Daniel Voigt Godoy

Enjoying this book? Help it get discovered by casting your vote!

Loved it! 😍

An insightful book that helped me see the world beyond deadlines and the 9-5

Synopsis

Do you feel like a square peg in a round hole sometimes?
Do you feel like what you're doing is not really meant for you?
Would you rather be doing something else entirely but don't know where to start?

In our lives, we don't ask ourselves enough questions. We follow the lead of others because they seem to know what they're doing. Along the way, you may lose track of who you really are. You mistake your identity for your job. Deep down, however, you know you were not meant to be living like this. You even have a plan to switch gears. But you never do.

Looking for answers? Try asking questions instead!

Daniel has been through the journey of switching careers. He's not offering you answers, though. His goal is to help you ask yourself LOTS and LOTS of questions to get where you want to be. This helpful book is what he wishes his past self had at his disposal.

Hopefully it can be useful to you on your own journey!

You're Not Your Job: Going Above and Beyond for Yourself is a self-help / personal development guide by debut author, Daniel Voigt Godoy. Godoy enters the creative profession with over 25 years in a variety of roles, from technology scientist to teacher.


In what could be seen as a 50-20-10 split between guidance, personal experience and thought-provoking exercises for the reader, this is a guide that can easily be consumed in one sitting. The reader exercises are also helpfully repeated in the two appendix sections towards the end of the book, which is great for those wanting to see them all laid out in one place.


As a book of 127 pages go, this is a tidy and manageable read, with a strong cover design and pages that are beautifully formatted with the inclusion of simple illustrative diagrams and note-style sections to encourage reader engagement. The tone of voice strikes the right balance of professional and informal, and gives the strong impression of an author who has been there, done that and got the t-shirt to prove it. The content treats readers as equals and supports them to see beyond the 9-5 day job, in a way which they are unlikely to receive from a traditional employer (for obvious reasons).


Personally, I was not always convinced by some of the recommendations made by the author. For example, the attitude of "living for the moment" when it comes to financial savings and some of the slightly probing questions placed on readers at the end of the opening chapters. It is a difficult tightrope to walk when trying to get people to see the bigger picture, but when author suggestion dips into something akin to formal guidance, that is when a reader should be seeking the guidance of someone who knows their onions (and is fully qualified for them too!)


You're Not Your Job is a thoroughly engaging title and one that would suit the majority of those in any form of employment. Godoy's entry into the publication market is a strong one, an author you could probably have a laugh or two with over a coffee. Entirely personal opinion, but just a hunch.



AEB Reviews

Reviewed by

I've been writing since 2014, showcasing the best hidden gems in publishing on my website.

Synopsis

Do you feel like a square peg in a round hole sometimes?
Do you feel like what you're doing is not really meant for you?
Would you rather be doing something else entirely but don't know where to start?

In our lives, we don't ask ourselves enough questions. We follow the lead of others because they seem to know what they're doing. Along the way, you may lose track of who you really are. You mistake your identity for your job. Deep down, however, you know you were not meant to be living like this. You even have a plan to switch gears. But you never do.

Looking for answers? Try asking questions instead!

Daniel has been through the journey of switching careers. He's not offering you answers, though. His goal is to help you ask yourself LOTS and LOTS of questions to get where you want to be. This helpful book is what he wishes his past self had at his disposal.

Hopefully it can be useful to you on your own journey!

Introduction

Do you feel like a square peg in a round hole sometimes? Do you feel like what you're doing is not really meant for you? Do you wonder how you ended up in your current situation? Did you choose any of these? Would you rather be doing something else entirely but don't know where to begin?


I wrote this book to make you think. It doesn't offer you ready-made answers, but it will hopefully make you ask yourself lots of questions. As we live our lives, we don't ask ourselves enough questions. We follow the lead of others because they seem to know what they're doing or, at least, that's what it looks like from our perspective. But everyone is learning as they go, following someone else's lead.


Along the way, you may lose track of who you really are. You mistake your identity for your job. Deep down, however, you know something isn't right. You were not meant to be doing this.


Sometimes you dream about leading a very different life. Maybe you even have a plan to switch gears. You've been saving money to one day, finally, take the leap and go live the life you want. You tell yourself: "I just need to stick a little longer, and then I will leave this behind me." But you never do.


Been there, done that. Trust me, I get you. We get attached to our dreams, and we don't want to spoil them. An idealized life that will eventually be yours is a cozy refuge to escape an unpleasant reality. It is a psychological or emotional crutch that distracts you from the fact that you cannot metaphorically walk by yourself. The crutch may be so effective that you don't even realize it's there.


But then, all of a sudden, you notice the crutch. Once you see it, it's really hard to unsee it. You try to ignore it but it gets increasingly more difficult to do over time. How did I get to this point? What am I doing? If you ask yourself these questions, you already noticed the crutch.


As I said, I can't offer you answers. It's a bit cliché but only you can find your answers. It's a very personal journey of self-discovery. More cliché, I know. What I can do for you is ask you lots and lots of questions. Actually, I want you to ask yourself lots and lots of questions. I don't know which questions, if any, will do the trick for you. Maybe none will, maybe you don't like any of them. The only way to know is to try them out.


This is an opinionated book and it offers my own perspective on the subject. Although I may refer to my own experience throughout the main text, I kept most of my personal story as a series of asides completely separate from it. Keep in mind that I am not a psychologist nor a trained counselor. I won't be justifying my views on the grounds of one theory or another. I am writing the book I wish my past self had at his disposal. Perhaps it can be useful to you too and I truly hope it will.


Comments

About the author

Daniel Voigt Godoy, author of the upcoming "You're Not Your Job", is an Amazon best-selling author. In the last 25 years, he had many jobs—developer, data scientist, teacher, writer—but he's none of them. After figuring out his own path, he decided to share his experience and insights with others. view profile

Published on April 23, 2024

20000 words

Worked with a Reedsy professional 🏆

Genre:Self-Help & Self-Improvement

Made with Reedsy
Learn more
Reviewed by

Review this book

Share your thoughts with other readers now.