When the Pause is Over....
When the pause is over, I will hold the biggest “New Years’ Party.” I do not know the exact date. It may be December 31 or February 3 or April 1, but when it happens and my life can go back to a semblance of what it was before the “PAUSE,” I will hold a party. I am signing into Amazon right now to order the decorations. There will be champagne, there will be loud music, there will be balloons, there will be big communal platters of gooey delicious chicken parmigiana for all the friends and family I want to invite. I will make new “New Years’” resolutions. Until then, I am planning and evaluating my next move.
I sat home for the past 6 months and am tired of my couch and tired of how I have been spending my time. Sure, I am safe, staying in good health but now it is time to crawl off the couch and get to work. Because “a semblance” leaves the door open for revision, for goals and for dreams.
I have done some research and assembled a toolbox.
First my research:
Take a “Personal Inventory”
What is it? It is a look inward to see what makes me, well, me. And an outward look to see what opportunities are in the world around me.
How do I do one? Using my toolbox, I tried a few methods.
Is it useful? Yes! I did find it useful.
Next, I assembled my toolbox:
Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life, by Ken Robinson
My Next Move O*Net Profiler www.mynextmove.org
The Big Five Personality Test www.truity.com
The Personal Inventory Map, you can see it at the end, helped me to reveal my priorities. A few categories were identified by the tools, like creativity. Many years ago, I felt that I was happier when my life included an element of creativity. I realize now that I need to actively seek out creative pursuits. This was reinforced based on the O*Net and the Big Five suggestions. Both indicated that dimension of my personality. Also, the need to balance family and work. Ken Robinson’s book has exercises after each chapter. Although the exercises take a bit more reflection, they are helpful to uncover your passion. One I found particularly helpful is “Exercise Nine: How Happy Are You?” From a center of “Happiness,” I draw lines away from the center and connect those aspects of my life that give me the most pleasure.
If you are feeling the same way, that when the PAUSE is over, it will be time to take your next step, I hope you will take the time to look inward and discover where you want to go and also outward to see what the world has to offer.
