It’s Stay Whole Tuesday, and I’m thinking about something I call, ‘My six questions for chatting about life and career’. For some time now, because of the age of my daughters and because of my age, I have had young professionals seeking career guidance in my life. I enjoy these conversations. And because of these conversations, I started formulating my book project, RELEVANCE: From Beginning to End.
My book will examine early-stage work choices that we all make and how those choices affect our careers and our lives. How do some people always know what they want and have a deep passion for their work? It’s a question worth exploring, and I encourage younger professionals, those just starting their careers, to think deeply about it.
When someone starts to discuss their early career with me, I have six questions I like to ask.
My six questions for chatting about life and career:
- What do you want to do with your life? (Both professionally and personally.)
- What are you good at (your gifts?)
- What do you most enjoy (hobbies, curiosities, interests, etc.)?
- Where is the intersection between what you are passionate about and what you are good at?
- What does your conscience tell you about how you can and should make the world better?
- What might be keeping you from living your most full life, and what are you doing about it?
When I share these questions, usually by email, I typically end the email with this statement:
These are just a few simple questions. (-; (wink!) I’m not looking for you to spend a lot of time on these. Just rough out your thoughts and send me an email.
I always like it when someone turns these questions around quickly because it shows they have already been thinking about these types of things. The questions seem to separate the pretenders from the non-pretenders.
Once I get responses, I usually take a few days to think about them and rough out some thoughts in writing before setting an initial meeting. This always gives us lots of good material to discuss.
Take a stab at them if you would like, and send my way.
Stay whole.
