What do you want to work on? – Part 1: Self-Reflection

Ever wondered what do you want to work in your life? In this article I want to describe aspects that might be helpful.

It all starts with the self-reflection of your:

• Skills
• Natural aptitude & Strengths
• Interests & Curiosities
• Experiences
• Role Models

Take out pen and paper and follow the framework to rewrite your career path

Create a detailed list of your skills and qualifications. Consider both the skills you’ve acquired through your professional activities and those you’ve developed in your hobbies. Reflect on the skills you admire and wish to acquire in the future. This can serve as inspiration for your career goals.

A good indicator of a necessary skill could be something that only a few people can do.

Identify your natural talents and strengths. What have you been told as a child or adult that you are really good at? What do you think yourself? What are you really good at?

“If something that seems like work to other people doesn’t seem like work to you, that’s something you’re well suited for. (…)The stranger your tastes seem to other people, the stronger evidence they probably are of what you should do.” – Paul Graham

http://www.paulgraham.com/work.html

Reflect on what engages you during your leisure time. What topics fascinate you? What activities and pursuits do you actively engage in on a daily basis or have been involved with in the past?

Visit a bookstore and consider which subjects or books immediately catch your attention. This can provide clues to your passions.

Ask yourself “What am I nerdiest about?”

Recall unique experiences in your life. What formative experiences have you had that are distinctive and could potentially influence your professional interests?

Think of people you admire or who you consider role models. What aspects of their life or work inspire you? With which person you resonate the most?

• 1) What skills you’ve acquired through your professional activities or hobbies?
• 2) What skills do you admire and wish to acquire in the future?
• 3) What have you been told as a child or adult that you are really good at?
• 4) What are you really good at?
• 5) What is something that doesn’t seem like work to you?
• 6) What topics fascinate you?
• 7) What activities and pursuits do you actively engage in on a daily basis or have been involved with in the past?
• 8) What are you nerdiest about?
• 9) What unique experiences in your life have had a big impact on you?
• 10) What unique experiences could serve others? How?
• 11) Think of people you admire or who you consider as your role models.
• 12) What aspects of their life or work inspire you?

It might take some time to answer these questions. Once you’ve written down the answers mark the one or two answers that resonate the most to you. That might be very difficult.

Ready? Then write out all the marked answers.

What picture emerges? What intersections do you recognize? Which ideas come to you?