Take Our 10 Year Challenge: What Did You Want to Be 10 Years Ago?

Lately, everyone is taking the 10 Year Challenge. They’re looking for pictures of themselves 10 years ago, and comparing it to how they look now. We challenge you to take our own version of the 10 Year Challenge.

If you could go back and meet yourself 10 years ago, we want you to ask what you wanted to be back then. You may be surprised to find that who you are now, and who you were back then has changed. You may have wanted to be a firefighter but ended up on the path to becoming a doctor.

Are you the one steering the ship?

Now the next question to ask yourself is: “Are you the one steering the ship?”. If you’re on the path to becoming a doctor because you want to, or because of outside influences like family, friends, or cultural expectations. Or if you find that you aren’t following your own passions, it’s probably time to start looking for your own “North Star”.

If you’re looking to figure out if you’re steering your own life and career the easiest way to do so is to figure out what gets you excited. Luki Danukarjanto, founder of Focus Inspired found that what got him excited was coaching. He loved taking time to have coffee chats and to help others. This excitement in coaching is what drove him to become a Career Catalyst. He helps steer millennials into a DJ for Personal Development. Someone who remixes the advice for development in a way that resonates with you.

After university, it’s often difficult to find our footing in our careers. Our twenties are riddled with finding a fit, and finding our passions. Step one to finding your passions is to take on our 10 Year Challenge. What did you want to be 10 years ago? Compare that answer to now, and see what similarities you see and what differences you do. It will help you decide where your passion currently lies.

Network and Build Meaningful Connections

Once you’ve figured out what passions bring you joy, start networking. LinkedIn is a great way to approach someone in the industry you’re interested in for a coffee chat or an informational interview. It may be scary to reach out to a stranger at times, but remember that the worst thing they can say is “no”.

Many people are willing to give a few minutes out of their day for a quick coffee chat. Work on perfecting a quick “elevator pitch” in a short and to the point LinkedIn message. Always remember to pay for the coffee whenever possible, and prepare questions going in. Utilize your LinkedIn knowledge to research the person you’re speaking to. Finally, always send a thank you note after each meeting. Don’t expect an instant job after speaking to someone though, the point of a coffee chat is to pick someone’s brain about a career you have an interest in.

If you know someone in the field, ask if it’s possible to shadow them for a day. This may be something that they have to clear with their company first, but there’s never a harm in asking. Bring a notebook to take notes to jot down any questions you would like to ask later on when the person you’re shadowing has more free time.

Try it out

Volunteering your time may seem tedious, but spending a week volunteering in an industry you want to explore will give you a better idea as to if you want to pursue it.

Don’t just look at your photos from 10 years ago, join our 10 Year Challenge challenge instead.

So what did you want to be 10 years ago?

Contributed by Tiffany Kwong  www.thepickyprincess.ca