An Important Decision Resolved

Let me give you a bit of advice that probably goes without saying—if you wish to do well on something, you have to put in the effort…unless you happen to be naturally brilliant of course, which few of us are.

I have been notably missing in action the last couple weeks as I crammed for the California Bar Exam. While most of my colleagues dutifully began studying upon the conclusion of law school in early May, I frolicked around the world and directed most of my efforts toward Award Expert.

It dawned on me in mid-June that I better start prepping for this exam, and even then I could not just set aside my clients and tell them to come in a month. So I studied on the side, in between award bookings, at night, or on weekends.

The key is to work smarter, not harder and maybe I’ll have the last laugh when I get my results in late November…or maybe I just wasted over $1,000 and a whole lot more in lost time and forgone opportunities. I’m not trying to make excuses for myself if I did not pass, only that you must choose your priorities wisely.  But whether I passed or not, I drew some sort of sick satisfaction from recounting and analyzing California law over the three-day, 18-hour exam.

Which leads me to the question of what should I do with my time now?

Today happens to be my 27^th birthday and as I looked back on the last year and all that was accomplished, it seems to me the only reasonable course of action is to keep pursuing what I love doing.

I am blessed with many friends and a number of good connections. Finding a conventional job does not worry me, but embarking upon a career in which I work like a slave for someone else not even doing what I am most passionate about is hardly tantalizing.

Law and politics are deeply fascinating to me and my degrees and work experience give me a strong resume to work with, but I have decided that until I find the elusive perfect position, perhaps a return to Germany to work with Star Alliance full-time, I will do exactly what I have been doing the last 1.5 years, only now with no school or frequent domestic travel from coast to coast to get in the way…

Award Expert continues to grow, but surging demand has made it difficult for my team and I to fully serve all interested clients. Now, with some more time on my hands, it is time to rethink my business plan and address many of the deficiencies that are inherent in running a consulting company. A new pricing scheme will be coming and I will be looking to hire—stay tuned for that.

More importantly for you—my blog readers—will be more time to focus on Live and Let’s Fly. I have so much to share with you (think trip reports from around the word—from Singapore First to Cubana Economy, from SAS Business to Swiss First, and all that I saw in between) that is highly unique and has now been building for nearly two years. Next up is a trip report from a journey to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia.

Do what you love and the money will follow is not just a trite catchphrase. It has proven prescient for me and I look forward now to another year of doing what I love.