Stop chasing a job. Build the life you want to live.
Most of us were taught how to chase a career, not how to build a life. This book flips that script, offering a practical, research-backed guide to building a career around your own values, motivations, and goals — not someone else's expectations.
Through real case studies, hands-on exercises, and research from behavioral science, you'll learn to identify the work that truly energizes you, then turn it into sustainable, income-generating "career acts." Part playbook, part workbook, it moves past generic advice to help you build real clarity, autonomy, and momentum — so your career finally feels like your own, not just a job you show up for.
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Praise for Live for a Living
Careers today are less predictable than ever. In this wonderful book, Paula Caligiuri and Andy Palmer show that this should be a source of excitement, not dread. Live for a Living will help you identify your talents, develop your goals, and turn your unpredictable career into an adventure.
Arthur C. Brooks, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and #1 New York Times bestselling author
With a powerful blend of practical advice and soul-searching exercises, Live for a Living will empower you to dig deep and uncover your unique gifts. It’s more than a career guide; it’s a life manual for those ready to take control of their destiny.
Rich Miner, PhD, Co-Founder Android, Inc.
Live for a Living provides the tools and insights needed to craft the career that works for you. Filled with practical advice, this book inspires readers to align their careers with their passions, creating a life filled with purpose and joy. A compelling read for anyone looking to redefine success on their own terms.
Elise Awwad, President and CEO, DeVry University
In today’s fast paced world, “time is the coin of the realm” and we seldom have the time to reflect on the why and how of our journey (i.e., where we are headed). Live for a Living offers a way to embrace our full selves, the quality and quantity of our personal and professional time, to clarify our purpose and achieve significance and meaning in our career and work-life integration.
Dana H. Born, PhD, Brigadier General (USAFA Retired) and Harvard Kennedy School
Most people don’t marry the first person they meet on a dating app or at a salsa class. Likewise, finding a fulfilling career requires a great deal of effort, experimentation, and a plan: this book provides a compelling guide for doing just that. A must-read for anyone at a career crossroads.
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer, ManpowerGroup and Author of I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique
What are your work-life values?
Not everyone defines career success the same way. This quick self-assessment looks at three dimensions of your work values. There's no right answer — just a clearer picture of what you actually need from your career, so you can stop measuring yourself against someone else's version of success.
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