Welcome!
If you have an account, please:
Log in
Yes, it's THAT book!

Drop your email here to stay informed of the status of my "tell most" book about the National Security Agency:

--OR--

Read a little about the book here:

Employees are allies, not the adversary

--OR--

Check out the Kickstarter here (click)
How can I help you?
Contact Jeremy
Recommendations

Here's something that


I, Jeremy Duffy, actually recommend and think is worth checking out.
No web-bugs, no bs, just a legit recommmendation that I have personally evaluated before allowing it to be listed here:

Think something's here that shouldn't be? contact me!

Are You Really Pumping a Dry Well or Did You Find Your Purpose?

Are You Really Pumping a Dry Well or Did You Find Your Purpose? – The Geek Professor
"I think you're pumping a dry well here..."
(Image used under Fair Use doctrine)

When the Brady Bunch 1995 movie came out, it was a snarky jab at the characters and stories of the famous 70's sitcom of the same name. Overall it was midly humorous and mostly forgettable to me with one exception: the house gag.

It's long been a joke online that father of six, Mike Brady, was supposed to be an architect and had designed the house they lived in, yet somehow there was only one bathroom for 9 people. Taking that gag further in the film, there were several points where Mr. Brady was pitching architectural designs to clients at work. Each time, the model on the table – regardless of the client's needs – was just his family home with a few gas pumps outside (for the series of gas stations), a menu board outside (burger restaurant), and so on. At one point, a frustrated client pulls the boss close and says, "I think you're pumping a dry well here".

In my recent experience being jobless in the worst market in decades, that gag has come to mind frequently. You see, as I reviewed nearly 20 years of professional experience, I noticed a pattern. Every role I've worked had deficiencies in onboarding, documentation, and cross-team collaboration. And in every role I've worked, I always applied myself to training, teaching, and process improvement – to the greatest degree I was allowed or could get away with. Education and awareness was my Mike Brady house; my "dry-well".

Stop pumping the well?

In the movie, Mike lucks out when a client loves the concept for a series of fitness centers (to his boss's utter bafflement), but this is real life and we're not going to find success by pitching the same concept over and over… or will we?

In strictly literal terms, architecting without any consideration for your client is foolish, but was that really the problem? Mike could have fought against his talents, his focus, his passion — or he could lean in and just find the right outlet. What if, instead of a dry well, what you found is your jam? Your anthem? Your life rhythm? Is it really something you should suppress? Could you even if you tried?

I'm not suggesting that anyone quit their job and live as a starving artist, but can you course-correct even just a little bit? Though I only managed to find one role in my career where I could express my purpose fully, no team resented that I tackled our outdated security tracking, improved our standard operating guides, or went out my way to investigated and addressed communications breakdowns between clients, other teams, and execs.

Obviously, not everyone's passions will lend themselves to their current roles the way mine tended to: fair enough. But does that mean there's nothing you can do?

Channel and focus!

Maybe you can't weave your purpose into your current role, but does it make sense not to tap into that font of power? How many times have you heard "work a job you love and you'll never "work" another day in your life". There's something to be said for mining veins of passion: you might work longer and harder than anyone else on that task, but it won't feel like it. When you find joy in music, teaching, doing, learning, showing, or whatever it is that you do, it doesn't drain you the way a "job" will.

If not your current job, can you do side projects? Something to flex that talent and help build it? Something that might eventually help you build a "side-gig"? Can you volunteer? Can you find any way to make your passion part of your life in a meaningful way? Because if you do, you build skills, experience, a portfolio, personal connections – all things that might lead you to future roles where your purpose is you MAIN role, and not some desperate side-effort.

I don't know what your life situation is; what your struggles are; your limitations – I would never presume to judge. All I'm saying is that if you can find your "Brady House" and lean into that passion instead of away, you may find success and joy you didn't realize were possible. At the least, isn't it worth putting some thought into?

Ask yourself:

This kind of introspection and investigation is not easy, but I believe 100% that it is worthwhile and – whether it actually leads you to better things or not – it will give you the strongest foundation possible for reaching for the future you want to see.

It's often MUCH harder to find the path than to walk it. Find your path and you'll see just how far you can really go!
Tags: , , , ,

Share This

Have a Comment or Question?

Loading...

If you want to learn more about my professional background, click here to learn more.

Check out one of my guides/tutorials:

computer security Tutorial
|INDEX|next: Spyware Scanners

Security Software

Make sure you have a up-to-date Anti-Virus Program to protect you against bad websites or files.
Sometimes spyware gets in your computer and the anti-virus won't stop it. Use a spyware scanner to find and remove spyware and adware.
Use a software firewall to detect bad code on your computer when it tries to connect to the Internet.
Always keep your system up to date with security patches or none of the rest of your security software will matter.
Use an encryption tool to protect your important data when storing or transmitting it.
Switch to Firefox for your web browsing and you'll be better protected from Internet threats.

Safe Computing Practices

Don't get tricked by fake alerts or clever webpages into downloading viruses or spyware!

... or check out any of my other guides and tutorials by clicking here!

Anti-Virus

A virus can come from files, e-mails, web pages, or even devices you plug in (like thumbdrives or printers) and destroy your files or your computer once they get in. An anti-virus is software designed to detect and prevent that from happening.

[Click for full description]

Spyware Scanners

Learn how to detect and remove spyware and adware using a free scanning tool.

[Click for full description]

Software Firewall

Learn what a firewall is and why you want one on your computer.

[Click for full description]

Operating System Updates

Make sure to keep your operating system up-to-date with security patches or else none of the rest of your security software will be able to protect you.

[Click for full description]

File Encryption

Learn how to protect your important files on your computer or when transmitting them with free tools for file encryption.

[Click for full description]

Mozilla Firefox - Internet Browser

There are many browser choices out there. Read why I think Firefox is one of the best.

[Click for full description]

Fake Alerts

Maybe you've done everything right and you're computer is sufficiently fortress-like, but then you or someone in your family falls for a simple scam that tricks them into directly installing the bad guy's virus! Learn how to spot and ignore fakes!

[Click for full description]