Who Am I?
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How often do
you think about what kind of life you want, what kind of person
you are, and what makes you happy? Can you define what you want
and what you are willing to do to get it? The better you know yourself,
the easier it will be to take the twists and turns ahead with confidence. The
process of acheiving a fulfilling career starts with knowing yourself.
The better you know yourself, the easier it will be to take the
twists and turns ahead with confidence. It can be helpful to write
down your fundamental beliefs, values, and needs in a journal.
 Values:
Values define you. They are the qualities, attributes, and beliefs
that you consider important. If you act in accordance with your
values, success and happiness are enhanced.
Some examples
of values:
career: accomplishment, adventure, creativity,
money
relationships: affection, belonging, collaboration, loyalty
personal growth: ambition, fitness, pride, technical ability
Needs:
Needs also define you and shape your world. They are your requirements
for living. They can be both limitations and identity traits that
you embrace.
Some examples
of needs:
economic: life-style, wealth, security,
possessions
social: family, friends, children, colleagues
health: allergies, handicaps, fitness, nutrition
environment: indoors, big company, urban setting
avocational: free-time, hobbies, religion, community
Often your needs
and values can contradict each other. Making compromises between
the two is often the key to actualizing happiness and clearly defining
your goals.
Goals:
 Goals are defined out of the reconciliation of values and needs.
Goals can be small and specific consisting of single actions; Or
they can be large and abstract.
Both types of goals are important. With the large, abstract goals,
it's important to break them down into smaller, tangible steps.
This way you have something to work towards each day. Before you
know it, you'll be on your way towards accomplishing the big goal.
Remember to define realistic goals that you can stick to over time.
By breaking goals up into smaller tasks, you ensure that your goals
are reasonable. For example, check the web site for job fairs in
your field or call one person who might know someone doing the kind
of job in which you are interested. Constantly reevaluate your goals
to determine if they are still in line with your values and needs. |
