The themes of life are usually very simple things that describe you in the most obvious and fundamental way. When their essence is realized, they resonate very strongly with you. The problem we face in defining these truths is that the more busy we are with our lives, the harder it becomes to filter out noise and find our "themes".
There is a very simple but powerful exercise that you can use to find the main themes of your life. You need to do the next 6 steps:
1. Determine what you like/dislike to do?
Take a piece of paper and divide it into two columns. On the left side, list all the things you have enjoyed doing in the last 12 months. On the right side, write down all the things you have not liked in the past 12 months.
You can take a period of the last 6 months, 12 months, 5 years or your whole life. Spend no more than half an hour and write down everything that comes to mind, don't edit or throw away your memories.
These questions will help you make up your mind:
- What things have given you a sense of extra energy?
- Which tasks were very easy for you to do over and over again?
- What events made you talk about them with excitement?
- What have you always wanted to share with others?
Do the same for the right side, where you list things you didn't like. Take advantage of the leading questions:
- What kind of things have you been putting off all the time?
- What did you always have to fight to finish the job?
- What projects did you always try to forget once they were finished?
- Which cases have you always tried to avoid or try to get rid of them as quickly as possible by any means possible?
Write down everything you can remember from brainstorming: don't throw away ideas, think about them, or criticize them.
2. Determine what you're doing well/bad
The next step is similar to the previous one. Take another piece of paper and divide it into two columns. This time, list in the left column all the things you did very well.
A few auxiliary questions:
- What achievements are you very proud of?
- What achievements would you like to share with other people?
- What projects have brought you real benefits (money, connections, etc.)?
You can also include cases that other people have commented very positively on, even if you may sometimes have doubts about how well you have done them.
In the right column, list all the things you did wrong:
- What can't you be proud of?
- What things could you do better?
- What will you never shine in?
- What kind of things have you been criticized by others?
Again, spend no more than half an hour on this step and continue to follow the rules of brainstorming
3. Identify your strengths/weaknesses
Now take another piece of paper, divide it into two columns and set the timer again for 30 minutes.
In the left column, list all your strengths. These can be qualities of character, skills and talents:
- What are the most obvious advantages you have?
- How do you characterize other people?
- What resources or connections do you have?
- What do you have that other people don't have?
In the right column, write down all your weaknesses:
- What are your obvious shortcomings?
- Why do you criticize yourself most often?
- What is it that other people do not like about you?
- What qualities would you like to possess, but realize that you will never be able to?
This step ends the period of brainstorming. Next you will refine your ideas and "incubate" them.
Analyze your ideas and complement them
Keep thinking about your lists. Carry these lists with you for the next two weeks, wherever you go. Take them to work, read them while you eat, take them on trips and keep them handy at all.
If there are any new ideas coming up, write them down or cross out what seemed like a hasty conclusion. Often during this period, you will discover very deep thoughts about yourself, your abilities and limitations.
This exercise will give you a sense of clarity about what you have always enjoyed and what you are really good at. You are unlikely to learn anything amazingly new, but you are very clearly aware of what was hidden at the subconscious level. However, these ideas will become even more crystal-clear when you complete the last few steps.
5. Find the topics that describe you
At the end of two weeks, take your lists, 5-7 colored pens or markers, and find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Now, browse through all the items on your list and group them into a few common themes, highlighting each with a different color.
For example, you might have written that you like to organize family parties, make shopping lists, and come up with games or contests, while your weakness is your inability to work hard and sit back. All this applies to organizational skills: mark these items in one color. After you have colored your entire list, give the name to each group of elements. In our example, this can be called "love of event management".
Do not select too many topics - 5-10 points will be enough. Each of them is the truth about you and an important "topic" in your life.
6. Define "star themes"
If you have more than five "themes", look at them and add a star to the ones that resonate most with you. Which of them have the greatest meaning and influence in your life? Consider them from the point of view of self-realization, satisfaction and happiness.
Finally, write down your starry "themes" on a separate sheet of paper and see if they fit to who you really are. If you are comfortable with these newfound truths, then these are the most important "themes" of your life
Opening your dream job: What to do with the "themes" of your life
Now that you have completed a full exercise, you are in a truly unique position. You had to get some powerful clarity in what specific "topics" give you the energy that makes you happy and what kind of work you do exceptionally well. From here you must compare relatively easily the profession of your dreams with this result.
If you are very satisfied with your work, you will realize that more than 50% of the "themes" of life, one way or another, are reflected in your profession.
If you are unhappy with your current job, but do not intend to change it in the short term, this exercise will help you find areas in your occupation that still correspond to some of the "topics" of your life. This will allow you to get a higher sense of satisfaction than you had before, because earlier you could not recognize the positive side.
If your current work reflects only a part of the "themes" of your life, you can realize another part in the side activity. For example, if one of your "themes" is that you like to help people, do volunteer work or philanthropic projects.
We wish you success and new discoveries!