WEEK     JOB: CHIROPRACTOR

LOCATION: BANFF, ALBERTA

EMPLOYER: DR. SHAWNA B.

WAGE: $81,340 YEAR [Source: BLS]

JOB DESCRIPTION: Assisted with client exercises, shadowed the owner and head chiropractor, and learned about the philosophy of rehabilitation.

INDUSTRY IQ:

• The human body has 300–350 bones at birth. As the infant grows, some of these bones fuse together, making a total of 206 bones in the adult body.

• A four-year bachelor’s degree, followed by a four-year program at a chiropractic school to receive the Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree, is typically required to become a chiropractor.

WHAT I LEARNED: The importance of finding balance.

I’d received an email a couple of days earlier that asked, “Sean, does it all have to be in the career?”

The author was implying that we can reasonably fulfill our passions outside of work. Previously I would have wanted to say yes. That if I were able to choose, I wouldn’t sacrifice the majority of my time at an unfulfilling job so that I could spend my minimal time outside of work doing something that I enjoy. But I wasn’t so sure anymore. Shawna did a great job identifying the many things she loved doing, like skiing, rock climbing, hiking, and then satisfied these through a combination of her professional and social life. It’s about finding a balance in there somewhere.