You can now download Barbara Sher’s book Wishcraft for free as a PDF. It’s split up chapter by chapter, and contains all the original text. And if your first language is Portugese, you’re in luck too – there’s a translation just for you.

So you now don’t have the money excuse to start on your dreams! Go download it now.

I ordered a used copy of the book from Amazon and devoured it. She explained that people like me who feel it would be a life sentence to be stuck in one job are not dysfunctional. We work a bit differently and need to harness our varied interests into a manageable life. She calls it “life design for people with too many passions to pick just one.”

Her main strategy is what she calls focal points. You choose a few (more than 4 may be too much) things you want to focus on for now and work on those for a while. It’s kind of like going to an ice cream store and being overwhelmed by the selection. Instead of shutting down and not having any ice cream, since you certainly can’t have all of them at once, you have a few scoops of what looks good right now.

I started out with focal points and although I don’t keep a focal points journal anymore like Ms. Lobenstine recommends, I do incorporate the idea in to my own life today.

Along with defining what a Renaissance Soul is, how to deal with multiple interests, and how to make money (very important to those of us who can’t seem to hold down can’t fathom holding down a “real job”), she also has an entire chapter devoted to time management and another on overcoming resistance or what she calls momentum blockers.

I also picked up another book by Barbara Sher which deals with the same kind of people, those she calls Scanners. I’ll review that book next time.