Strategic Volunteering

History will be kind to me, because I intend to rewrite it.

I am no Winston Churchill. However, as I do a two-year look-back, I find myself reshaping my personal history as I gain perspective.  Many things happened more out of luck then specific intent.  Perhaps you have been affected by the Great Recession, and found yourself having to change and adapt to a new normal.  Or, perhaps this economic anomaly has encouraged and allowed for personal change and growth.

I believe that a sustainable community necessarily requires a level of volunteering.  It was that way when I was growing up, watching my parents follow the model of their parents.  Many of us are fortunate to have replicated that experience in our current neighborhoods.  Perhaps we can take it to another level.

Tim Ferris, author of “The 4-Hour Work Week,” shares a road map, examples and a pathway towards improving efficiencies that you can introduce to your lifestyle to find time for Strategic Volunteering.

The marketing of his book reads like this, “Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan—there is no need to wait and every reason not to. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, high-end world travel, monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, this book is the blueprint.”

Ferris shares ideas on how to outsource your life and do whatever you want for a year, only to return to a bank account 50 percent larger than before you left; how blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs; how to eliminate 50 percent of your work in 48 hours using the principles of little-known European economists; how to train your boss to value performance over presence; how to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent “mini-retirements”; how to cultivate selective ignorance—and create time—with a low-information diet; and how to fill the void and create meaning after removing work and the office.

“The 4-Hour Work Week” also includes the sample e-mails, voicemails, and real-life deals (with dollar figures and all) you will need to master the new world of luxury lifestyle design.

Ferris used these guiding principles to become the national champion of Chinese Kickboxing (Sanshuo) in 1999.  Thirty days prior to the event, Ferris began training and using a rapid weight-loss process widely used today.  By losing weight, getting weighed in, and gaining the weight back, he was significantly bigger than his opponents.  Then Ferris employed a seldom-used rule that says you can shove your opponent out of the ring.

He holds the Guinness Book of World Records’ record for the most consecutive tango spins in one minute.  Ferris and his dance set the record live on the show “Live with Regis and Kelly.”

Let’s say you are in a job search, or wish to shift careers. Then the concept of strategic volunteering can provide a process for selecting opportunities to expand core competencies and skill sets or for self-actualization.  Sure, you should maintain active memberships.  But what if I told you that next week you were graduating as a certified professional in a new field? If you started strategic volunteering 90 days or six months ago, that could be you.

For me, my two-year look back now reads that I am a columnist, elected to a special district, appointed to a city commission, I graduated Leadership Tomorrow, which trains civic leaders, I was appointed to an environmental committee of a publicly traded company.  I am a Certified Green Building Professional and a Certified Resource Management Professional.  I have utilized this column to meet some really cool locals.

Pimco, a Newport Beach company, has an active community outreach program.  Recently Pimco provided significant funding to a school and has their executives teaching classes at the school.  Good example of corporate strategic volunteering

There are lots of strategic volunteering opportunities in our community.  The city has many standing and temporary committees.  Maybe you could lecture at a library or participate with schools to transfer your knowledge in their Living History events.  Contact a Councilmember and work on one of their pet projects.

Figure a way to ride shotgun on some cool project that will benefit your career, enhance our community or simply recharge your batteries.

Good luck with the concept of mini-retirements. I will join you.

Share your strategic volunteering ideas online or JimFitzEco@gmail.com