Mind Mapping for Self Awareness: A quick guide to find your calling and pursuing your dreams

So, you’ve completed your training and maybe have a diploma, some certifications and internships under your belt. You may be anxious and ready to embark on a new chapter of your life. Getting into the world of work, or perhaps wanting to shift your career path. The challenge is now to establish a plan that is not only consistent with your core values but will give you real success and fulfillment.

What is your calling?

As I always tell my students, before you map out your route, you must have a destination. Identify your calling. Maybe it is a childhood dream, or your burning desire to do, or to be something. An artist, a business tycoon, a lawyer. Not just what your parents want for you, or what your friends are getting into. Not even because it’s hot and trendy at the moment, or you’ve heard it pays high. But something you can see yourself doing for the long haul and stay passionate about.

My Dad wanted me to be a doctor, so I took Psychology and went to Medical School for a while. But I was miserable. Not until much later, did I find the niche where I was good at and happy in.

What are your skills?

Of course, you need to determine if you have what it takes to pursue this career. Ask yourself these. “What am I good at? What do people say I am good at?”

This is where you reflect on your talents and skills, your personality, your education and your opportunities. You need to assess if you work better with people in a team, or if you prefer to work alone most of the time. Scientists, lawyers work mostly by themselves dealing with a lot of paperwork and multilevel tasks. Other professions require more interaction with people and less tedious tasks.

Matching your skill set with your intended career will entail some research. Try looking into job postings to have an idea on qualifications.

What is your motivation?

“Do you want to work just to be paid, or do you want this to be a stepping stone to build a career on? Do you desire to rise to the top of the corporate ladder or do you want to create and grow your own business? Do you want to follow the footsteps of your parents or do you want to tread your own path?”

Be honest with yourself. Once you have established these parameters, decide and then commit.

Choose your target job or position in a specific company or industry that answers to your calling, matches your strengths and skills. Once you’ve done this, you can now map your options and steps.

Blanche Mapile is an educator in Counselling and Education Psychology at DLSU Taft. Previously she established and managed her own PR consultancy firm. A BS Psychology graduate and an MBA, she wrote for a newspaper, and worked for top PR and advertising firms in her younger years. More recently, she has done online PR and social media management stints for international clients. She is also a hands-on fur-mom to 18 plus dogs and a kitten.

Mind mapping is just one of the tools utilized to gain clarity and direction in your career planning. Experience activities and workshops to know yourself better and align your career goals at La Vie Institute, the only provider of TOTAL Personality Development in the Philippines.