My professional #tenyearchallenge
Well, sometimes it may as well be a scam or an attempt to improve an AI algorithm. It can be a complete waste of time, or another reason to procrastinate (don’t I know that). But if you look at it from another angle, it can be a chance to grow. Initially, I did the #tenyearchallenge, the “right” way, photos and all. And since I am only (!) 35, and blessed to still have all my hair and in the same colour I was born, my photos didn’t differ that much from when I was 25… Having said that, probably the #twentyyearchallenge will come to bite me in the ^$%.
The days passed and a former student of mine asked me to help her son out. He is just finishing his degree in Computer Science, completely shocked by the future ahead of him. Imagine a rabbit in the middle of the street staring into the lights of the coming car that’s about to hit it… As I was sitting at a cafe near my old university, trying to talk some “experience” into this desperate student, I suddenly became so aware of my own trip. It was crystal clear.
!<>!<>! I cannot stress enough, the importance of accepting to coach people, or mentor them, or train them, whenever you’re asked to do so. These are processes that (a) make you a better professional and (b) allow you to gain so much more than what you’re giving away. It’s like talking to a therapist/career councillor, free of charge. As long as you’re being honest with yourself, not trying to boost your ego or gloat… !<>!<>!
After he left, I stayed there, and started thinking of my own #tenyearchallenge in terms of my professional journey. And my personal, but this is off-limits for a blog post. And just like that, I decided to do what everyone should do from time to time, and not in ten-year intervals for sure. To begin with, I went back ten years, and then another ten. And then I decreased the intervals to 5 years. And there, it all made more sense. If they don’t for you, try to make the intervals even smaller, down to 3 or 2 years. When the process was over, it was a bit easier for me to look ahead and position myself in 2-3-5 or even 10 years. Where I wanted to be at least, cause I had no insurance that I was getting there just by identifying the destination.
[read the entire post in my blog]