Activity Set: Calling Connection Career Plan

Activity Set: Calling Connection Career Plans

Quick Overview

Part 1: Calling Connection Career Plan

  • Description: Create specific strategies to implement your mission statement, problem to solve one-liner, and vision for service statements.
  • Lifework Activity: Identify specific strategies aligned with how you plan to serve the world in five categories – Business/Entrepreneurship, Creative/Artistic, Scientific/Research, Social/Political, and Teaching/Education.

 

Introduction

 

Part 1: Calling Connection Career Plan 

(Inspired by book, “Build Your Dreams: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love” by Alexis Irvin and Chip Hiden.)

The Calling Connection Career Plan is a process to help you identify potential opportunities to pursue based on your mission statement, problem to solve one-liner, and/or vision for service statement. Categories include:

  • Business/Entrepreneurship
  • Creative/Artistic
  • Scientific/Research
  • Social/Political
  • Teaching/Education

For each of the five categories, you’ll need to write down ideas you could do/pursue to get started on your “work.” You will need to identify TWENTY-FIVE (25) total items – a minimum of FOUR from each category – 4 from Business/Entrepreneurship, 4 from Creative/Artistic, 4 from Scientific/Research, 4 from Social/Political, and 4 from Teaching/Education – and an additional five from any of the five categories. It is important to have written a mission statement, a problem to solve one-liner, and/or a vision for service statement to complete this activity.

As you list potential options for each item for your Calling Connection Career Plan, be as specific as possible.  For example, instead of writing “get a job in business,” write down a specific job title/role that you would like to get in business (such as financial analyst, operations manager, etc.). Feel free to create your list as a report, as a mind map, as a table, or any other format that works for you. The goal is to create a document that outlines the specific strategies you’ll take to engage in “work” that matters to you.

Business/Entrepreneurial

  • Name a specific full-time, part-time, and/or seasonal job(s) could you obtain.
  • Name a specific business start-up could you start or own.
  • Name a specific franchise or family business you could start or own.
  • Name a specific product could you create.
  • Name a specific service could you offer.
  • Name a side hustle, side gig, or side business you could start or own.
  • Name a specific professional organization/association could you join/create.
  • Name a specific student organization could you join/create.
  • Name a specific internship/apprenticeship could you obtain.
  • Name a specific app or web site you could create.
  • Name a specific local event that you could attend that will help improve/grow your business.
  • Name specific self-employment, independent contractor, freelance, contract, and/or consultant work you could create.
  • Briefly describe an online profile (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) you could create to promote your work/business/entrepreneurial endeavor.

 Creative/Artistic

  • Name a specific article you could write about in a newspaper or magazine.
  • Name a specific article you could post on a blog or other electronic means.
  • Name a specific workbook, textbook, or e-book you could create.
  • Name a specific item you could create that incorporates pictures, drawings, or illustrations.
  • Name a specific item you could create that incorporates dance or some type of movement.
  • Name a specific item you could create that incorporates TV, movies, video, podcasts, and/or film.
  • Name a specific item you could create that incorporates some type of arts and crafts, such as painting, photography, pottery, and/or jewelry.
  • Name a specific item you could create that incorporates music, beats, or some other type of sound.
  • Name specific designs or decoration you could incorporate as a part of your meaningful work.
  • Name a specific writing project you could do.

 Scientific/Research

  • Name specific facts and/or opinions that support your meaningful work.
  • Name a specific method you could implement to collect data and/or gather information.
  • Name a specific method you could implement to do testing, analysis, and/or experimentation.
  • Name a specific research opportunity that might exist.
  • Name a specific method that would allow you to do further inquiry, exploration, or investigation?
  • Name specific safety, liability, or other issues that might need to be addressed.
  • Name a specific new method that could be implemented.
  • Name a specific clinical opportunity that you could obtain.
  • Name specific benefits/drawbacks that might occur doing this work.
  • Name a specific best practice that exist doing this work.
  • Name specific surveys that could be conducted with results you could share.
  • Name a specific report and/or white paper that addresses results of this work.
  • Name a specific research project you could do.

 Social/Political

  • Name specific connections with people/organizations/communities you could make.
  • Name specific relationships/partnership you could develop based on this work.
  • Name a specific endeavor where you could serve as an activist or lobbyist.
  • Name a specific law and/or policy that might affect this work.
  • Name a specific way you could connect with non-profits and/or charities.
  • Name a specific way you could engage with the local community.
  • Name a specific way you could engage at the state, national, or international level.
  • Name a specific way you could engage in an opportunity within government.
  • Name a specific legislative process you could identify and/or create based on this work.
  • Name a specific economic issue that might be connected with this work.
  • Name specific groups or populations that could be affected – positively or negatively – by your work.
  • Name a specific campaign/movement you could create.
  • Name specific allies/mentors/collaborators who you could help/support and could help/support you.
  • Name specific faculty/alumni you could connect with.
  • Name a specific opportunity where you could implement this work internationally.
  • Name a volunteer/service project you could do.

 Teaching/Education

  • Name a specific situation where you could teach/speak/present to others one-on-one or in small groups.
  • Name a specific situation where you could teach/speak/present to large groups.
  • Name a specific situation where you could get involved in service learning/community learning.
  • Name a specific program/activity could you create and teach.
  • Name a specific opportunity to teach classes at a school or school-like setting.
  • Name a specific opportunity to create an educational program/activity.
  • Name specific opportunities to obtain Vocational/Technical, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctoral, Professional, and/or some other type of degree.
  • Name specific opportunities to obtain certificates, licensures, badges, and/or some other type of credential.
  • Name a specific opportunity to get training.
  • Name specific opportunities to provide coaching, guidance, or mentoring.
  • Name a specific opportunity to create and develop alternative means to deliver learning opportunities (i.e., on-line).
  • Name specific workshops/trainings/presentations could you create and facilitate.
  • Name specific opportunities to gain experiences and/or increase knowledge in your particular area of interest.
  • Name specific opportunities to teach/share your knowledge using on-line technology (i.e., live online events, webinars, and podcasts)?
  • Name a specific creative/hands-on project you could do.

Feel free to add other items to each of the categories as you see fit. The information is a starting point; there may be other opportunities that exist specific to your work that might not be listed above. You will need to identify TWENTY-FIVE (25) total items – a minimum of FOUR from each category – 4 from Business/Entrepreneurship, 4 from Creative/Artistic, 4 from Scientific/Research, 4 from Social/Political, and 4 from Teaching/Education – and an additional five from any of the five categories.

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Calling Connection Career Plan Worksheet – Bill’s Example

Mission Statement: Because of my interests in self-help/personal growth, I am here to empower students, faculty, and staff in higher education and people at a crossroads in life deal with a lack of clarity and direction in their lives personally and professionally so that they can create academic, career, and life plans to optimize their lives to become better people and create better lives.

Problem to Solve One-Liner: Most students and people at a crossroads in life want help answering the question, “What should I do with my life?” or “What are you going to do with your life?” We provide courses and workshops to empower them create meaningful educational, career, and life plans that lead to happy, healthy, and successful lives now and in the future.

Vision for Service Statement: In five years, I will be “working” as a facilitator/trainer at the Life Design Catalyst (LDC) Studio, training thousands of educators at high schools, colleges, and university in the U.S. each year, on how to use the LDC curriculum to empower their colleagues, their peers, and/or members of their communities to become better people and create better lives.

Business/Entrepreneurial

    • Facilitate Life Design Catalyst (LDC) Facilitator Trainings locally.
    • Facilitate LDC Catalyst Facilitator Training at other colleges and universities.
    • Co-Founded the Life Design Institute, LLC (in 2019).
    • Present sessions about Life Design Catalyst Program at professional conferences.
    • Created the Life Design Catalyst Academy (online) – https://ldi.thinkific.com/.
    • Train undergraduate students to facilitate LDC work with other college students and high school students.

Creative/Artistic

    • Write articles focused on various aspects of Life Design Catalyst work.
    • Created the “Dream Dean” blog – https://thedreamdean.com/.
    • Created Life Design Catalyst Manifesto video.
    • Created the Life Design Catalyst Facilitator Training workbook.
    • Created logos for Life Design Institute and LDC Training Program.
    • Create a Life Design Catalyst Guidebook.

Scientific/Research

    • Conduct research that shows retention and graduation rate success for students who take HHS125.
    • Conduct student evaluations to show impact of HHS125 on specific student learning outcomes.
    • Conducted first-year student assessments “What I Want From College” and “What’s Important to Me.”
    • Read books and research articles that illustrate the value of purpose exploration and designing one’s life.

Social/Political

    • Created a Life Design Catalyst Tribe.
    • Created a Life Design Catalyst Facebook Group.
    • Serve on two different group in National Academic Advising Association (NACADA): (1) As a member of the Summer Institute Advisory Board, and (2) as a content developer for new Content Library.
    • Served as a Steering committee member on two NACADA Advising Committees: (1) Advising First-Year Students, and (2) Academic Coaching.
    • Provided sermon on purpose for Unity Church in Greensboro.

Teaching/Education

    • Teach three different Design Your Life courses: What Could I Do With My Life, Redesign a Life You’ll Love, and Side Hustle 101.
    • Facilitate Life Design Catalyst workshops for students.
    • Facilitate Life Design Catalyst workshops for local community.
    • Host online events on Life Design Catalyst Program.
    • Supervise graduate students interested in working in Life Design Catalyst Program.
    • Hosted a 5-day Lunch and Learn Webinar Series on Knowing Yourself.
    • Hosted a 15-Day Catalyst Challenge focused on creating a Character Resume.

Use this as an opportunity to think about the future of “work” you’d like to create, based on how you want to serve the world. Think of this activity as a starting point, one where you get to change/modify/adapt as your circumstances change.

Dream Team and Dream Communities

These two activities will have you identify the people and the organizations that could help you on your journey to make a difference in the world. As you complete this activity, you may already have people in your life that make up your Dream Team and be part of organizations that could be part of your Dream Communities. The key is to get clear about the people and places that would not only support you, but allow you to grow and thrive.

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Part 2: Dream Team

“According to research by social psychologist Dr. David McClelland of Harvard, the people you habitually associate with determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure in life.” – Darren Hardy, “The Compound Effect”

One of the most important areas that most people don’t explore is nurturing relationships that help them grow – both professionally and personally.  The Dream Team activity provides you the opportunity to identify potential people to help you move forward on your journey and achieve your dreams.  The people you spend the most time with shape who you are. They determine what conversations dominate your attention. They are the biggest influence and have the most effect on your behavior, attitudes and results. Who you are around — what they’ve got you thinking, saying, doing and becoming — sets the course of your life.

When making your Dream Team. make sure to connect with people who will inspire you to be your best; choose people who will provide at least one of the following (if not more):

  • Add value to your life. They make you a better person through their wisdom, honesty and experience.
  • Continually grow. People who value their own growth and development will encourage yours.
  • Walk with you. Those who support, celebrate and have a stake in your journey and make the road less bumpy.
  • Enjoy life. Their optimism, enthusiasm and sense of adventure are contagious.
  • Offer unconditional love. They appreciate you for who you are – both the good and the bad.

This may be hard for you, especially if you haven’t met very many people. Use your positive experiences in life to create your Dream Team, individuals who will help you tap into your potential and unleash the possibilities! This activity could have one of the biggest impacts on your life! You need to choose your Dream Team members wisely!

P.S. You can have more than one person in each category!

Inspirational Quotes

  • “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn
  • “If you want to progress, surround yourself with people that have higher expectations of you than you have of yourself.” – Lisa Skeete Tatum

Inspirational Videos

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Develop your Dream Team based on these EIGHT (8) categories:

  1. Knowledge/Expertise/Academic Inspirer: Who can help you continue to build your knowledge and expertise in specific areas?
  2. Industry Professional/Influence: Who can serve as a guide in developing your work in industry and/or your influence in a particular domain?
  3. Purpose/Motivation: Who inspires/motivates you to become the best version of yourself in service to something bigger than yourself?
  4. Personal Development/Personal Support/Close Confidante: Who pushes you, challenges you, supports you, and helps you grow?
  5. Integrated/Balanced Life: Who encourages, support, and nourishes your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being?
  6. Mentor: Who is further along in his/her journey, capable of being your guide on your journey?
  7. Sponsor: Who can talk about you, speak highly of you in a positive way, and help promote you and your ideas?
  8. Wild Card: Who doesn’t fit into the other categories but should be added to your list to help/support your growth and development in positive ways?

Your Dream Team will be especially important as you implement the many facets of your Life!

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Part 3: Dream Communities

The Dream Team had you focus your efforts on specific people to include as part of your Dream Team. This activity will have you identify particular businesses, organizations, associations, societies, and/or social groups that could help you connect with and/or build your tribe. Use the chart below to identify specific entities that could provide you opportunities to connect. You will need to identify at least EIGHT (8) different businesses, groups, and/or organizations that could potentially help you build your community/tribe. Note: If you find that you cannot identify 8 different groups, this is a great indication that you have some work to do to get connected to outside groups.

Inspirational Quote

  • “It’s not what you know, it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.” – Susan RoAnne

Inspirational Video

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Categories of Groups/Organizations

  1. Business Organizations (i.e. Chamber of Commerce)
  2. Professional Organizations
  3. Non-Profit/Volunteer Organizations
  4. Political Organizations
  5. Religious Organizations
  6. Athletic Organizations
  7. Academic Organizations
  8. Social Organizations
  9. Honor/Academic Societies
  10. Online Groups, Organizations, and/or Communities
  11. Other Groups, Associations, and /or Organizations that don’t fit in categories listed above – or create your own.

Take this opportunity to identify specific groups, organizations, and communities aligned with your life.