Dan Miller’s book, 48 Days To The Work You Love, first appeared in 2004. Some months ago it was re-released as a revised edition. It was well worth reading five years ago. Perhaps it’s even more so today.
Dan Miller’s work all revolves around the belief that we should live in pursuit of our natural aptitude and what we care about most. This book – and its predecessor – serve as the core foundation for all of his work, including his podcast, workshops and more.
Last week I decided to revisit Dan’s work – this newly updated version of 48 Days. I thought it was time to dive back into some of the ideas I remembered from a few years ago while reading the first edition. I had purchased this new edition some weeks prior and it sat on my desk beckoning me until I dove in.
True confession time: I’m slightly more than halfway through the book as I write this blog post. I understand if you feel it’s improper to write about a book before you’ve finished it, but I have good reason. Two of them actually. One, I’m going to write a second, follow up post to this one. Two, the journey is quite often the point. Especially with a book like this one.
Dan Miller is a man of faith. That’s important. Some may accuse him of a God-based bias. That’s seems okay with Dan. He acknowledges it from the get go. However, this is not a book that belongs in the religious section of your local bookstore. Yes, there are numerous scripture references throughout. Yes, he refers to God and a Christian perspective. If that offends you, don’t read this book.
But if you’re looking for the Joel Osteen prosperity gospel to be preached in this book – well, just save your money and buy one of Osteen’s books. Miller does not preach such a message. Nor does he preach a life of leisure where people lounge around tropical waters drinking fruity drinks.
Miller advocates doing something with your life. Something meaningful. Something with lasting value. Something that serves not only your life, but others.
48 Days comes from Miller’s notion that we mere mortals could use a few extra days to accomplish remarkable things. He cites God’s use of 40 days to prepare people for something better.
- Noah’s life and the world were transformed after 40 days of the flood
- Moses spent 40 days on the Mount
- The Israelite spies spent 40 days scouting the Promised Land
He cites other scriptural references to 40 days and concludes, “I’m giving you 8 free days in the process to create your own plan. Take a break on Sundays and a couple of Saturdays. Don’t knock yourself out; just stay committed to this time frame to avoid the usual procrastination.”
Dan begins taking us on a journey of self-discovery. And while much of the book is written in a self-help, personal development style doesn’t mean it’s just another rah-rah book. No, it’s a book that demands heavy lifting on the part of the reader. The book isn’t difficult to read, but the urgings of the author are likely going to make active readers break a sweat.
The first sweat Miller asks you to break is a mental sweat. Self-examination isn’t much fun for most of us. We may rather prefer to live a life of delusion. All the baggage we bring with us to our work – and our entire life – is called into question. Rightfully so.
You can’t likely read a single page without some short story used to illustrate the point. The book is filled with short little inserts high-lighted by arrows. These are not read in line with the text of the book, but serve as self-contained snippets of inspiration. Additionally, Miller often cites the work of other authors and proves himself to be a well-read man. It also proves Miller spent thoughtful, significant time fleshing out his ideas and methods. This is not some over-simplified, crank-it-out-in-a-weekend book. Miller is not that shallow. Nor is his message.
Yes, I confess that I’m fond of Dan Miller. And his message. And his approach. The great thing about books, authors, speakers and other communicators – you can search out the ones with whom you can most easily connect. Social media – and things like podcasts – enable you to judge for yourself if Miller has a message, or delivery that resonates with you.
The message is simple, but profoundly difficult for many people. Find the most meaningful work possible. Find the work that best suits your natural talents and desires. Behave in ways that benefit your life most. Discover important things about yourself.
Sadly, many people will go through life struggling with these issues never having considered that they control their own destiny. Bad things happen to everybody. Some things are beyond our control. But not our behavior, our actions and our reactions. We have full command of those things, even when we decide to surrender them to others, or to circumstances.
Life is made up of choices. Mr. Miller urges us to make the wisest choices possible. And to get on with it. Stop wasting time. It doesn’t matter if you are in your 20′s or 70′s. Time will pass no matter our age, and if we’re able to build a better life that only lasts days – that’s better than wasting those days in misery. The reward can be the destination, but as is almost always the case – the journey provides much of the enjoyment and benefit. Dan serves as a terrific guide.
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