Get clear on who you are

When you are seeking work that will be more fulfilling or imagining a whole life that will be more satisfying it is important to get clear on who you are. Without knowing who you are, how can you possibly design and build a career or life that will suit you better?

um yes, obviously. But sort of not.

A whole lot of lovely people I meet find it hard to answer gentle questions like: What are you good at? What do you enjoy? What matters to you?

When you’re after big change I know it’s tempting to leap right in! But taking just a little time to work out your own finer details is a worthwhile investment. It will help you choose a direction that is likely to be a really great fit.

Try taking notes in a journal [or in any basic book] on simple aspects of self. Prompts like this might help you along:

WHAT AM I GOOD AT?

+ What are my strengths? [If you’re having trouble, try this VIA Questionnaire.]

+ In your everyday life, when do you feel most yourself?

+ And in that everyday life, when are you at your best?

+ Consider the value that you offer the world.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY?

+ You wake up on a Saturday with nothing you have to do, how do you choose to spend your day?

+ You are given a year off work [with an amazing salary!] to do whatever you like. How do you choose to spend that time?

+ Which parts of your day do you most look forward to? What simple things in your day bring you the greatest joy?

WHAT MATTERS TO YOU?

+ Are there any situations that elicit [what feel like] extreme emotional responses in you?

+ What things are most important in your life? What do those things mean to you?

+ Do you ever notice certain words really resonating with you? What are they?

Take a step back and look at all this material. What does it tell you about yourself? What patterns do you see? What themes emerge?

And then ask yourself: how can I use this information to help me a forge a more satisfying future?

Tags: choices, decision making, self, strengths, values