Forge Career Course
Forge Course Day 4: Revealing Patterns
Seeing where, when, and how you’ve thrived allows you to define the next step forward
--
This is day four of a five-day course on finding what you’re meant to do. Read our introduction post, day one, day two, and day three.
Today, we’re transforming mess into magic. Humans crave patterns — our brains derive meaning from the events that happen in our lives to avoid chaos and confusion. We lean on patterns for the choices we make, whether or not we’re conscious of it. And at this point, after your deep introspection, you should be starting to see some patterns emerge.
We have a tendency to operate in tunnel vision, thinking only of the last job or project without ever stepping back to assess our journey more holistically. The 3C approach forces you to see the big picture and uncover trends. More importantly, it surfaces opportunities.
In your day three exercises, you likely noticed that throughout your career, you’ve been drawn to certain tasks more than others. You saw where, when, and how you’ve thrived and why. You recognized the characteristics and actions of people who light you up and the “professional vampires” who are determined to drain you. And you determined the moments when you weren’t living your values and remembered how that made you feel.
In your most ideal setting, you’d be working at your highest altitude. This encompasses a trifecta of purposeful workplace magic:
- Your work embodies and is an expression of your values.
- You exercise your skills, talents, and abilities.
- You have a supportive work environment, co-workers, and colleagues that help you thrive.
In today’s exercise, you’ll find the patterns that will help you take your first steps toward that magic altitude. Because let’s be realistic: We have to crawl before we walk, walk before we run, and run before we fly to heights of 40,000 feet.
