Getting Started Activities
ACTIVITY 1 What have you been thinking about?
Using mind mapping, use single words or phases, link them through images, lines or curves to explain what you’ve been thinking about.
ACTIVITY 2 What are you doing now?
This activity is a reminder of the skills you have built up over the past roles. This framework of skills and past experiences will assist you work out which skills can be transferred into a new role, and where additional skills sets may be required.
Your current work activities provide clues to the skills you have now that could be transferable to a new or adapted role.
1. Brainstorm all the activities that you have performed over the past 5 years, this includes paid work and unpaid activities.
2. Then group the ones that are similar together. You could have a number of groups.
3. Then give each group a category name.
ACTIVITY 3 What are your interests and passions?
Your interests provide an important clue to the kind of work that you could truly be passionate about. So getting clear on this is the next step.
Think about the issues that you are drawn to or the kinds of people you like to work with, help, serve or be around. Think about what you are drawn to when you read the newspaper, scan the internet, watch the news. Are their societal issues you wish you could engage in, have you volunteered and been attracted to a cause, what does your heart or intuition tell you? Notice what is attracting your attention and make a point to follow this up.
Write down 3 ideas that interest you. Start with the broad category and then narrow it down to the specific.
ACTIVITY 4 What are you good at?
Thinking about your aptitudes. These can be defined as talents that you are good at, maybe you were born with and are part of your raw potential. To realise your potential you need to apply and refine them.
Whereas 'abilities' often require a considerable amount of education and apprenticeship to develop. Just because you have a natural proclivity towards something doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be expert at it.
For this activity focus on your natural strengths and weaknesses, and in particular things that you are naturally good at.
1. Given your reflections so far, write down the things that you enjoy doing, are drawn to, spend a lot of time on, reflect your motivations and / or interests. Capture these in a few words and place each different one in a circle.
2. Think about the things you do in each of these areas and the aptitudes they use. Write some key words or draw images for these aptitudes in the relevant circle.
3. Think about which of these circles you are naturally good at, other ones you are average at and the ones you’re not so good at.
4. Reflect on the areas you’re good at. When and how did you discover that you were good at these? Do they have anything in common? Are there other ways you could apply these aptitudes? What sorts of roles and occupations depend on them?
ACTIVITY 5 Start with the endpoint
Another way of starting, is to think about it like you would any project, by sketching out how it would look like at the end of the process. So try starting with the outcome you want to achieve and imagine in detail what your life could look like, how you would feel, what the days could be filled with, if you were in your ideal career.
Suspend disbelief and instead think about possibilities.
Create a Vision: What kind of life have you considered in the past? What do you regret not pursuing? Begin by writing down what this dreamed life could look like in 12 months time and in five years time.
Let it Go: Face the things that scare you: what are some of the concerns and worries you have? Begin by writing these down and continue to note them as they arise. Identify and acknowledge these and it will be easier to plan a way to reduce them.
Using mind mapping, use single words or phases, link them through images, lines or curves to explain what you’ve been thinking about.
ACTIVITY 2 What are you doing now?
This activity is a reminder of the skills you have built up over the past roles. This framework of skills and past experiences will assist you work out which skills can be transferred into a new role, and where additional skills sets may be required.
Your current work activities provide clues to the skills you have now that could be transferable to a new or adapted role.
1. Brainstorm all the activities that you have performed over the past 5 years, this includes paid work and unpaid activities.
2. Then group the ones that are similar together. You could have a number of groups.
3. Then give each group a category name.
ACTIVITY 3 What are your interests and passions?
Your interests provide an important clue to the kind of work that you could truly be passionate about. So getting clear on this is the next step.
Think about the issues that you are drawn to or the kinds of people you like to work with, help, serve or be around. Think about what you are drawn to when you read the newspaper, scan the internet, watch the news. Are their societal issues you wish you could engage in, have you volunteered and been attracted to a cause, what does your heart or intuition tell you? Notice what is attracting your attention and make a point to follow this up.
Write down 3 ideas that interest you. Start with the broad category and then narrow it down to the specific.
ACTIVITY 4 What are you good at?
Thinking about your aptitudes. These can be defined as talents that you are good at, maybe you were born with and are part of your raw potential. To realise your potential you need to apply and refine them.
Whereas 'abilities' often require a considerable amount of education and apprenticeship to develop. Just because you have a natural proclivity towards something doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be expert at it.
For this activity focus on your natural strengths and weaknesses, and in particular things that you are naturally good at.
1. Given your reflections so far, write down the things that you enjoy doing, are drawn to, spend a lot of time on, reflect your motivations and / or interests. Capture these in a few words and place each different one in a circle.
2. Think about the things you do in each of these areas and the aptitudes they use. Write some key words or draw images for these aptitudes in the relevant circle.
3. Think about which of these circles you are naturally good at, other ones you are average at and the ones you’re not so good at.
4. Reflect on the areas you’re good at. When and how did you discover that you were good at these? Do they have anything in common? Are there other ways you could apply these aptitudes? What sorts of roles and occupations depend on them?
ACTIVITY 5 Start with the endpoint
Another way of starting, is to think about it like you would any project, by sketching out how it would look like at the end of the process. So try starting with the outcome you want to achieve and imagine in detail what your life could look like, how you would feel, what the days could be filled with, if you were in your ideal career.
Suspend disbelief and instead think about possibilities.
Create a Vision: What kind of life have you considered in the past? What do you regret not pursuing? Begin by writing down what this dreamed life could look like in 12 months time and in five years time.
Let it Go: Face the things that scare you: what are some of the concerns and worries you have? Begin by writing these down and continue to note them as they arise. Identify and acknowledge these and it will be easier to plan a way to reduce them.
