I know this won’t be a surprise to many of you, but I’m reading three books right now; one is titled, “Mastery of One: Find and Focus on the Work You Were Created to Do” by Jordan Raynor. This book is similar to other books about finding your purpose and your “one thing”; however, it’s different because it explores career exploration from a biblical perspective. And, as I engage in more work as a lay minister, I thought it would be something that I should read. And I’m enjoying it!
If you’re working with people at a crossroads in life, trying to figure out what they should do in life, he shares a few questions that might help in the process. Of course, if YOU are at a crossroads in life, you might want to answer them yourself.
Here they are:
- Which life events have had the biggest impact in shaping who you are?
- What makes you different from those around you?
- What things are you naturally curious about today?
- Which activities did you naturally gravitate toward when you were younger?
- What do you fund yourself daydreaming about when nothing else is commanding your attention?
- Who are your role models?
- What about their lives and careers do you respect and want to see modeled in your own life?
- Is there a common thread that connects all of your current or past vocational interests?
And her shares these questions if you have some professional experience under your belt:
- Which work have you excelled at historically?
- When have you felt the most alive and useful in your career?
- When have you seen the fruits of “divine multiplication” in your work?
As I think back to when I was younger, it was always about sports – whether I was playing sports, compiling sports statistics, watching sports, or collecting sports cards (and reviewing their stats), I’ve always had an affinity for sports. Ironically, I finished about 1.5 years in a doctorate program focused on sports sociology – and my favorite class in college was a sociology of sports class.
I can say that I still love sports (I’m on ESPN.com just about every day), but I also love helping others find their path. At first, it was about students finding their path; now, I want to help/empower faculty and staff (and older students) find their path – their SPARCK – to light their lives on fire! And that drives me EVER DAY!
So, how would you answer these questions, in forming a hypotheses on what you might want to do?
The Dream Dean 