At Metis Hive, we devised an 8-step framework for a fulfilling career. We have summed up our journeys, our learnings, our mistakes and the learnings from other people's experiences to create a sure-shot process to achieve a fulfilling career.
The overview of the 8-step framework has been discussed in our earlier blog. In this piece, we highlight the first and most critical step of this framework, i.e., KNOW YOURSELF. Someone has rightly said,
Well begun is half done.
The beginning demands commitment and honesty. One needs to be honest with oneself about hopes, desires and aspirations. Often, our perceived desires are pseudo in nature, and they essentially reflect the expectations that others have from us. Or, in most cases, are clouded by the most prevalent paths around us. These paths may lead you to a destination, but it is the question of whether it is your preferred destination or not. More often than not, we come across people who are unhappy in their respective careers. It is not the fault in the path that they have taken; perhaps it is just not their path.
It brings us to the question, how do we know which one is our path. And this, my friends, is the billion-dollar question. There is no right answer to it, each individual is different, so there can't be a One-size-fits-all solution. We have to carefully knit our paths. We have to go out and explore. And even before we explore outwards, we need to explore ourselves, and this is why our first step is, Know Yourself.
So, what do we need to know about ourselves, and how can we achieve it? Metis Hive brings you the cheat sheet to know yourself.
We are outlining a few steps to know yourself better. Go ahead, read them, implement them and if you want to discuss more, you can always reach out to us at gometishive@gmail.com
Identify your strengths and weaknesses
Ask yourself what you are good at, which are the skills you trust. Which are those skills that never lets you down. The skills that instill confidence in you. These could be skills like good presentation skills or communication skills. Some people are good at observation, and some are amazing at negotiation, people management or working under pressure. These skills could be any trait that gives you an edge among your peers. List down your skills, at least three of those.
Once you have listed down your strengths, look at the other side of the coin. It is even more important to know what are not your strengths, what are your weaknesses. Look at the people around you, and you might find some strengths that your friends possess and you don't. List your weaknesses. These are the areas we need to work on. The motive behind listing the weaknesses is that we must work on these aspects. Depending on the criticality of the trait, we can prioritize the ones that need immediate attention. For example, traits like communication are indispensable, and one should start working towards it ASAP.
Identify your mental blocks
It is by far the most underrated aspect restricting our growth. Mental blocks are the non-existing limitations that we define for ourselves. For example, many people think that I am not a morning person, I can't wake up early. It is a mental block that we have created for ourselves. You just have to train yourself for it, it may take time, but it is not impossible. All you need is determination and trust in the process.
These mental blocks pave their way in our day-to-day lives and limit our potential. Identify them and start taking baby steps towards eliminating them.
You Are Confined Only by the Walls You Build Yourself – Andrew Murphy
Create a growth mindset
There are two types of mindsets (in a broad sense), a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. The fixed mindset believes that there are only certain skills that one can be good at, and they often attribute these to genetics, inherent talent and social limitations. However, the growth mindset believes that they can excel if they work hard enough; perseverance is the key. Ask yourself which category do you fall in. There are questionnaires available on the internet where you can test yourself. One should strive for a growth mindset in all aspects of their life. See where you stand and make efforts to develop a growth mindset.
Reflect on your previous life decisions
An important way to know yourself is by reflecting on your past decisions. There are always patterns that can be observed if you look hard enough. It may be a tricky approach because we delve so deep into our decisions that we miss the bird's eye view. Keep your decisions at a distance and look at them as if these are the decisions someone else takes, and you may be able to identify the patterns. These are the patterns that lead to success or failure. Categorise your good and bad decisions and find patterns for both.
Recollect the compliments and feedback you receive from the people around you, your family, peers, or mentors
This is one of the easiest ways to know yourself. Identify the traits that people associate you with. A lot of times, we undermine our abilities. So, even if people around you are telling you that you are a great troubleshooter, you might just think that it was a matter of chance that you could troubleshoot in a certain incidence. However, you need to remove such mental blocks; if people tell you a with a certain trait, it means that they have regularly observed it in you, and therefore it is highly likely that it is a trait that you possess and you are not acknowledging it. The same process applies to the critical feedback that we receive; if we are repeatedly told that we are impatient or not focused, we are likely missing out on certain patterns that we are displaying unknowingly. Recollect these views and reflect.
Ask people in your first-degree circle what do they think as your strengths and weaknesses
Tell people that you are a work in progress. Once you develop a growth mindset, you will understand that feedback is constructive. Ask the people who spend the most time with you for positive and negative feedback. Note it down and work towards it. Discuss with them the efforts that you are taking to grow. Go back to them after 3 months and ask them if they have seen any changes. This process may put you in an uncomfortable spot. But remember,
If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.
Start with these simple steps, reach out to us if you need assistance. It is never too late to bring a new version of you. Once you have understood yourself, you realize your strengths and hone your skills. The road ahead becomes easier. You realize what gives you happiness and contentment. It will give you an idea of what you want in the long run. It is a process of Learn | Unlearn | Relearn
Don't become a slave of your preconditioned mind. Keep an open mind and embrace your traits. March forward. Metis Hive wishes you all the best in your pursuit of a fulfilling career. Onwards and Upwards!
Read other blogs at https://www.metishive.com/blog
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