During the last few years, I have undergone a process of much introspection. This process started as I began thinking about a career shift. As many of us know, the sweet spot between 'what you are good at' and 'what you enjoy doing' is what we should strive for. Some call this a ‘flow state'.
Where you don’t have to motivate yourself to do something because you are aligned with it. We have all worked on projects where we become fully immersed in the work and totally lose track of time.
Learning about Yourself
Here is a list of tools I used to self-reflect. The results, but more importantly, the reflection on the results, provided me with clarity about the next steps to take. This was because I embarked on a journey to achieve more fulfillment in my work and develop a deeper sense of purpose to serve others.
One of the first tools I used was a Sparketype Assessment. It is a free resource created by Jonathon Fields from the Good Life Project.
This helped uncover some areas that I could dig into during my time at work. Some people may do the assessment and think they need to change careers to find something that is a direct fit with the results. I recommend exploring opportunities within your current job that align with these categories before quitting. My primary sparketype was a Maven (learner) and my secondary sparketype was an Advisor (teacher). What I began to explore was how I could use what I was learning and experiencing to mentor my staff to reach their potential. This brought a lot more fulfillment to my role - but it was not enough and after a year I needed a change.
Another assessment is the popular Enneagram. This is an assessment with 105 questions that take 10-15 minutes to complete. It helps describe you in terms of 9 different personality types. Each type has its own core motivations, fears, and internal dynamics. It is commonly understood that through their childhood, people emerge with one of the nine types dominating their personality. Inborn character and other pre-natal factors are the main reasons for our type. There are also coaches that can help you navigate the relationship between your main personality type and how your ‘wings’ influence this. You can find an enneagram coach here.
Clifton Strengths is another cost-effective assessment that is less about grouping you into a personality type, but rather about highlighting your strengths and opportunities. One particularly useful thing that comes from this assessment is providing insight into what types of people you work best with. For this reason, it is an ideal tool to use in teams. Understanding our respective lived experiences and reactions to events is more likely to prevent judgment. You can also get a coach that specializes in this assessment to help guide you through the key takeaways. A colleague of mine used this service and spoke highly of the experience.
I am not a proponent of labeling, but I am all about better understanding the types of things that fuel you and those that deplete you. This has been an invaluable tool on my journey. Once you start, you will find yourself digging into rabbit holes because who is more interesting to you than you?
We do not learn from experience. We learn by reflecting on our experiences.
John Dewey
ACTION ITEMS
Complete one assessment and spend 30 minutes reflecting on how you can incorporate more of the stuff that fuels you into your current role.
Share your results with your significant other or a good friend.