Abdeboskey/career_development_journal.md

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    Mod 1 Week 1: Understanding your strengths

1. Describe one of your strengths

What is something you have learned to do well (list a skill)?


Play Balinese Gamelan music.

What is something you know about (list some knowledge/expertise you have)?


Balinese Music.
Guitar.
Music Composition.
Effects pedals.

What is something you have a natural ability to do well (list a talent)?


Communicate.
Listen to/hold space for others.
Go with the flow, be spontaneous.

How do those combine to create a specific strength?


Musical improvisation and collaboration are composed of all of these qualities.

2. Read through your Top 4 results from Pairin

In your own words, what do these top 4 qualities tell you about yourself?


These things tell me that I love connecting with people, that I love understanding how and why things work, the process and surprises of discovery, that I have a strong sense of self awareness and am oriented towards learning about and bettering myself, and that I'm somewhat of a dreamer and idealist.

Do they resonate with you? Why/why not?


These kind of results can sometimes be hard to identify with. I think that whether or not things like this do resonate with me, the act of taking my unique qualities and giving them more generic umbrella labels can sometimes make me less interested in delving further into what those things actually mean. That being said, these results do resonate with me in places. I really value connecting with others and learning about how any why the world is the way it is, and how I fit into the big picture. Asking questions and exploring them with a sense of spontaneity lights me up, and finding beautiful and meaningful results is the icing on the cake.

How do they relate to the strength you wrote about in Prompt #1?


Musical improvisation and collaboration are activities that involvs deeply connecting with others in ways that words cannot articulate, connecting through feeling and listening both to yourself and those around you. They involve being curious, exploring how sound works, and why certain combinations make you feel certain ways, being very self aware, and involve dreaming/imagining/being open to new things.

3. Challenges with strengths

What can make it challenging to recognize your strengths? How can you work through those challenges?


I think that things like self doubt, self consciousness, and not wanting to come across as boasting about yourself can make it hard to recognize/acknowledge your strengths. Through practicing radical self acceptance, self love and words of affirmation, and working to understand that it's totally ok to acknowledge the things about yourself that make you strong, and in fact can really help to lift you up.

Do you ever see yourself overusing certain strengths? In what circumstances would you want to use them less and amplify other strengths? How could you adjust your approach in those instances?


One of my strengths is engaging/connecting with others. Sometimes, because of how much that lights me up (and how much I want to be liked, and perceived as "good" and "smart"), I can over-engage and end up taking up what feels like too much space; I loose sight of making sure that I'm leaving room for others. In those circumstances, much like trying to start a campfire, I would like to get better at realizing when I might be smothering the flame of a conversation/group interaction, and back off to allow the flame room to breathe and grow. I think that really paying attention to other's responses and level of engagement not only helps me to understand when and how to engage, but makes others feel much more seen/heard/valued. I also need to work through some of my own need for approval from others; it is a big factor in reasons why I overexert my interpersonal strengths to the point where it can taint my good intentions.

4.Strengths in action

Write 1-2 sentences describing how you like to work (i.e., Do you pre-plan? Do you talk through your ideas first? Do you work better with deadlines? How do you stay organized?)


I typically like to use a whiteboard or something similar to make a plan/to do list, which really helps me organize what I need to accomplish. Deadlines tend to induce great fear in me, and I'm working hard to overcome that and recognize that deadlines can also act as a pressure cooker, often encouraging much quicker progress than I'd be able to exercise without deadlines.

How could you talk about these working preferences with your project teammates? Your mentor? Your instructors?


I think that often, being vulnerable and voicing your insecurities can help give you agency over them and establish a system of support. At the same time, it is possible to reinforce your insecurities by dwelling on them too much, and it's important to be aware of your and your teammates boundaries of emotional responsibility when establishing working preferences.

What would you need to be aware of when working with people who have different strengths from you?


I think it's important to recognize that sometimes different strengths are complimentary, while other combinations can be conflicting. I think that by frequently checking in, establishing the needs/preferences of your teammate(s), and approaching collaboration with kindness, patience and understanding, even conflicting strengths can be configured to reinforce each other.

How could your Pairin results help you better understand your everyday working preferences?


Understanding my working preferences for me can sometimes feel very fuzzy, it can be hard for me to form an understanding of what factors really help me excell in a working environment. I think that the Pairin results can serve as a useful set of guidelines for where to start "listening" for those preferences. For example, my top thinking style is "imaginative-inspirational", suggesting that I thrive more in the throws of spontaneity, creative and sometimes unorthodox approaches to getting things done, design oriented type of areas, and a more intuitive based system of situational navigation.

5. Continued growth

Is there any particular strength you'd like to sharpen while you're at Turing? Any area you consider a weakness that you'd like to strengthen?


Time and task management, and self discipline. I'd like to get better at tracking things that need to be done in a way that is simple and easy to reference. I'd like to learn how to use my time more efficiently through utilizing techniques like pomodoro, and looking more critically at some of my long-time procrastination habits.

What are some steps you could take here?


Maybe doing something like creating a procrastination journal, and try to keep track of when and why I have that impulse to put things off so that I can figure out how to access that part of me and make friends with it. I think that experimenting with more tools like planners, organization apps, timers and kanban tools to hone in on what things really make a difference for me, and learn how to implement them. Often times, figuring out ways to hold yourself accountable for things like this can be the hard part.

How could you be aware of progress you're making?


As mentioned above, keeping journals or using things like scorecards can be a really effective way for me to track behavior. One of my goals with this is simply to learn how to get things done earlier, so as I find myself with more personal time on the back end of my workload I will very tangibly feel the progress that more efficient task management allows for. This is ultimately about lerning how to more efficiently compartmentalize my work life and personal life; when I lose track of things like time and task management, the line between work and personal can become very messy. This is about Me learning to organize Me, so I have time and space for Me. Additionally, making the system more efficient understandably correlates to better quality work being produced.

Mod 1 Week 2: Understanding your values and identity

Mod 1 Week 2: Building Your Compass

1. Power of self-reflection

What is challenging about self-reflection?


Looking critically at yourself and your behaviors can be scary, and embarrasing. It can be hard to practice self reflection without judgement, and in a way that is gentle enough to encourage growth. It can sometimes be hard to let your own defenses down enough to let even yourself in. It is often easier to sweep things under the rug than it is to take the time and energy and do the work that self reflection requires.

How can you continue to build the habit of self-reflection at Turing?


Making time to practice PD exercises frequently has already been really helpful for this. I have been keeping a habit-tracking section in my journal, which also forces me to check in with that habit every day. Practices like "morning pages" a la The Artist's Way and journaling in general offer more free form opportunities to explore the space and keep record of the path. I am starting to learn that self reflection is an inherent condition of the Turing environment as well, and it's much easier to instill habits when they exist in the air that you breathe.

2. Social identity mapping First, create you own social identity map on a piece of paper (or print this out):

Outer ring: write words that describe your given identity


White
Male
Able-bodied ?
First-Born ?
Coordinated +
Born-in-Denver ?

Middle ring: list aspects of your chosen identity


Musician +
Performer +
Teacher +
Kind +
Thoughtful +
Forgiving +/-

Center: write your core attributes—traits, behaviors, beliefs, values, characteristics, and skills that you think make you unique as an individual. Select things that are enduring and key to who you are.


Empathetic +
Easy Going, go-with-the-flow-ey +/-
Detail Oriented ++
A lil weird at times :-) +
A listener +
Patient +
Creative +
Assertive when necessary +
Generally optimistic +
Humorous +
A bit Idealistic ?
Occasionally absent-minded -
Not-wholly-punctual -
Still-learning-how-to-be-organized -

After you complete your map:

Underline the items that are important to you

Put a + beside the items that you believe clearly demonstrate that you fit into the tech industry

Put a - beside the items that you believe do not demonstrate that you fit into the tech industry

Put a ? beside the items that you're unsure how they could show your ability to contribute to the tech industry

Reflect:

What does your social identity tell you about what you already bring to the tech industry?


What I'm beginning to learn is that I already bring a lot of positive qualities to this field. For example, attention-to-detail, creative-thinking, interpersonal relations, humor and lightness, openness and spontaneity. It has felt in many ways, like discovering a path that I have been well equipped to tread for a long time.

What would it look like for some of your minuses or question marks to turn into pluses? In other words, how could some of these traits be assets for the tech industry?


Tardiness: would instill a more open and forgiving sense of time commitment in co-workers? (Not really) I think this one is one that I have a really hard time re-framing positively. I would honestly say that this trait is one of the most important things that I really want to focus on developing in my time at Turing and in life-in-general. I think that a possible asset in this moment is that tardiness has been something I've struggled with for so long, and in this particular phase of self examination it prompts me to ask "Why is being late something that I've struggled with for so long?" (How can I find the time to be on-time?) (( What's under there? )) In the process of disecting and exploring the big "Y" of tardiness for me, I will build more of the muscle required for the practice of self reflection as I continue to discover and be confronted by my big "Y's" and "Q's". (TLDR, learning about "why" I am historically late all of the time can give me clearer insight on how to work with and develop other tendencies that I know hold me back in professional settings).


Still-learning-to-be-organized: Learning how to use digital tools that are common in the tech industry can help me learn how to better organize my time, to-do's, commitments, space/storage and affect a cascade of different areas in my life that run more smoothly when organization is more finely tuned.


3. Values mapping Pull out 5 values for each bullet below from this list:

Always valued:


Growth
Compassion
Openness
Adventure
Gentleness

Often valued:


Diversity
Affirmation
Altruism
Aesthetic
Efficiency

Sometimes valued:


Pressure
Risk taking
Self-discipline
Winning
Pride

Seldom valued:


Competition
Frugality
Patriotism
Worship
Marriage

Reflect:


The simple act of taking the time to look through this list of values, feeling each one in your mouth, trying it on, and seeing how it makes your heart or mind or body feel is an incredibly valuable practice in value "genre-hopping". It's very interseting to note why certain values make me feel more or less, one way or another, and I also notice that my top selections for each category might be different on each day of the week. I think that this particular exercise would be benicifial to do with some regularity, as each one of those words contain a certain amout of "y's" in them.

What do these values tell you about yourself?

To kind of sum what today's selections might represent to me, I recognise:

Importance of expansion and kindness.
Appreciation for recognition and beauty.
Fearful of the risks of failure, and flying too close to the sun.
Distaste for inequality, ownership and aspects of institution.

4. Workview & Lifeview

Summarize what good, worthwhile work means to you (Tip: this is NOT about what work you want to do but about why work matters to you):


Good meaningful work feels like working for a cause I believe in, in ways that challenge and engage me, that make use of my natural talents and abilities while encouraging me to develop other skill sets. I believe in work that makes a positive impact on the world in one way or another. I think it is inherent in the Human psyche to need something (some kind of work) to put your energy towards that alchemizes that energy into something else. As much as sometimes, a fantasy exists of not having to work anymore, I believe that a huge percentage of fulfillment and purpose is cultivated from the work we do in our lives (and that doesn't necessarily mean job kinds of work!).

Lifeview: summarize what you value in life; what matters to you?


Being aware of our impact on others, and the world around us; Striving to live in harmony with those elements. Being kind, compassionate, authentic, open and sharing are things that I believe are as important as the oxygen in the air. I value learning, exploration, discovery, critical examination of things that are accepted as general norms, willingness to be wrong and learn from it, willingness to change and grow as time and life beg you to. Connection with others is one of the most precious jewels that is available to us.

Where do your views on work and life complement each other?


I think that these views are almost entirely complimentary. They almost feel like different facets and light splatter from the same cut gem.

Where do they clash?


At this moment, I cannot see any ways that they do. See potentially over-poetic "gem" analogy above.

Does one drive the other? How?


They really feel to me like these two views are riding a tandem bicycle. My life views are in the front seat, navigating and analyzing, while my work views are in the back, pushing power to the pedals and being aware of balance.

Mod 1 Week 3: Habits & accountability systems to reach goals

Ideas here are adapted from Atomic Habits by James Clear

Habits of a Software Developer

What do you think are the traits of a good software developer? What are they like in the workplace? What would you as a co-worker think of this person?


Traits of a good Developer

Orgnaized
Punctual
Self Aware
Efficient
Friendly
Light
Positive/Optimistic
Funny
Patient
Good at explaining/describing
Creative
Empathetic


In the workplace, this person would be:

Efficient
Focused
Respectful
Kind
Reliable
Fun
Supportive
Communicative


As a co-worker, I would likely really admire this person, and would enjoy working with them.


What are the habits that this person demonstrates to embody the identity of a software developer?


This person is responsible, considerate of others, good at time management, good at achieving a work/life balance, takes action and exercises autonomy, is always looking for ways to improve things and inflict positive change, is patient, is at once a student and a mentor, always makes an effort to be genuine, consistently chooses curiosity, always makes an effort to engage in ways that are fun and fulfilling, is vulnerable, is growth-oriented.

Who do you want to be as a software developer? What kind of behaviors do you already have in place to be that person? What behaviors would you need to put into place? How will you do that?


This person described above is who I want to be as a software developer, and more importantly, who I strive to be as a human. Many of those qualities I have been practicing for years, but areas that need development are time management and responsibility, work/life balance, always choosing to take action. For these things to be actualized, I need to become better at listening for the "when" of them. The first step in learning how to improve something is in learning how to listen for it. By acknowledging to myself, "This is a moment when I could be taking action", "This is what it feels like when my time management is not very effective", "This is a moment when I could be choosing to take more responsibility", I establish systems of awareness that allow me to pause, and condsider if that is the path I want to take. It will then take practice to make that harder choice, but I must acknowledge that it is the only way to develop these things and gain sovereignty over the decisions I make.

Working on the 1st Law of Behavior Change: Make it Obvious
Bring self-awareness to your current habits by making a Habits Scorecard. Make a list of your daily habits (examples: wake up, turn off alarm, check phone, etc.) as a way to bring awareness to what you do. Then, decide how effective that habit is for you and your goal of becoming a software developer. Put a + next to habits that are effective; put a - next to habits that are not effective; put a = next to habits that are neutral.

Pick 1 new habit you'd like to build and create an implementation intention following this template: "I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]." Then, stack the habit onto something you already do: "After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT]." (Hint: make this highly specific and immediately actionable)


I will stretch in the morning when I get out of bed.

I will take a shower, choose to blast the icy water, and choose to show up for/be responsible for/shape the day ahead of me.


Design your environment for success: what changes could you make in your space to better implement your habit? How could you remove any triggers for bad habits? How will you implement these changes?


I think that when I have some time off from school, I need to put forth some real effort to organize my room, and my living space. I also really need to clean and organize my bathroom ( It could be considered a sacred space, where you bathe and cleanse and reflect. I could treat it as such! )

Respond after a few days of this implementation: What are your results? How do you feel about this method? How will you move forward with this habit?


I have been using a habit journal for almost a year, of a very similar nature. It has been very helpful as a method of bringing things more clearly into my attention, and giving me a measurable means of affecting that habit in whatever way I see necessary. I use it to track things that range from stretching/exercising, watering my plants, keeping a water bottle, and tracking alcohol and marijuana use. The template I use is one month long, and each month I re-assess what habits I want to keep track of. I have found it to be extremely healthy, and I plan to contiue practicing this method of self reflection for the forseeable future. (The habit tracker I use was in fact authored by James Clear, of the link listed below).

Additional Optional Reading: The Five Triggers That Make New Habits Stick
Mod 1 Week 4: Creating a Vision, Part I

1. Habits Reflection:

How have you seen yourself become more aware of your habits? Have you tried implementing anything new? What have the results been?


I am learning to listen to myself more, to train myself to be more sentitive to those moments where I have a choice, by more frequently annoucing to myself "I have a choice right now". This simple act of acknowledgement gives me the space to catch up with my senses, my neurons, to check in with my intentions, and choose to take the wheel. The path of least resistance is not often synonymous with the path of growth, and it takes dedication and discipline to choose to do the hard thing.

2. Start Where You Are (Empathize with the user -- you)

Health: how you answer “how are you”; intersection of physical, mental, and emotional health


How would you rate your overall health on a scale of 1-5? How do you currently make time for activities associated with your health? What is a small change you could make here to readjust your health ratings?

At this exact moment, I feel wiped. I am worried about burning out in this program, which is scary as we are only four weeks in. Leading up to this experience at Turing, I had been doing a very good job of working out more consistently, Meditating, eating well, and other important self-care habits. But after a few weeks of the Turing Grind, I have had trouble making space to maintain those important habits, and am certainly feeling the toll. I struggle with depression, and these habits are things that I started practicing to replace the need for anti-depressants in my life. As I lose my consistency with these habits, I can feel the shadow of depression trying to creep back in. I am doing my best to take resposibility for my well being but I could be better about choosing to do the hard thing. Overall Health Rating: 3.5


Work: what you do

Make a short list of all the ways you work right now; How much value do each of those things bring to your life? How are those activities purposeful for you?


One of the primary reasons I came to Turing was to pursue work that would make me feel more engaged, and make me feel more like I was really applying myself and using the potential that I know is within me. The work that we have been doing in this program has definitely given me those things, I feel very engaged and challenged and like I am tapping into my potential as a human. At the same time, I've never had work that demanded so much of me. It's been very hard for me to retain a sense of balance with work/life, knowing when to close the computer and call it a day, especially when in this program it feels like there is always so much more I could be doing.

Play: what brings you joy? Think about joy just for the pure sake of doing it; everyone benefits from this kind of play


What activities do you do that bring you joy throughout an average week? In what ways could you make a small change to bring more joy into your life?


Playing music, performing maintainence on instruments, watching films, spending prolonged periods of time outside, riding my bicycle, connecting with friends, playing with photoshop and learning more about graphic design tools, recording and editing audio, spending time with my family, going on a long drive to somewhere I've never been before, reading, playing video games, building things, farming, just listening to music that I love.


I could dedicate one hour per day to totally unstructured free time to detatch from work and connect with one or more of these activities, and schedule and plan to devote time to things that take longer.


I could make sure to engage more consistently in artistic/creative practices.


Love: sense of connection; who are the people who matter in your life and how is love flowing to and from you and them?


How does love currently show up in your life? How do you show love to others right now? What adjustments would you like to make in this area?


Love most prominently show up in my family life. I live with my Mom and one younger brother, and feel extremely grateful for that especially at this point in time in the world. I have one other brother of the same generation, and am grateful that we are all really close. We also have a 12yr old step brother, and have recently begun having Brother's internet chats in the mornings as our younger brother is becoming more adept at using computers and the keyboard.


I have been exploring what non-monogamy looks like for me this last year, and it is all at once very beautiful and rewarding, it can also feel very tangly and difficult to be involved in multiple partnerships at ones. Especially while I am pursuing my education at Turing, it is extremely hard to find time to care for myself, not to mention finding the resources to tend to multiple other relationships. I think that I could set clearer boundaries about what I am available for right now.


Looking back at the 4 areas, do any problems emerge that you want to begin designing solutions for?


One of the biggest problems that I am finding to be recurring as we go through this experience is Time Management. This is something I have always struggled with, and especially in this program with seemingly insurmountable projects and looming deadlines, I tend to panic and sacrifice the time that I have reserved for things like self care, play, and love and connection for the sake of trying to just run up the mountain. But the most important thing I can do is pay attention to the choices I am making, and become really clear about my boundaries within myself, my work, my play, and my relationships.

3. Define your needs, problem, and insights:

Based on what you wrote about above and your group conversation, what problems have you identified that you'd like to design solutions for? What do you know already about what you want for your career? What do you still need to find out? Who or what do you want to grow into by the end of the Turing program?


Time management, knowing when to stop working, Taking more frequent breaks, staying committed to the time I want to make/use.
Interpersonally, I think I want to get better at staying in touch with people. In person, and when someone (especially someone new) It is really easy for me to be fully engaged and present with the people in my immediate life. But when people are not in that scope, it often becomes much harder for me to nurture those relationships, and I sometimes lose connection with really special people because of it. I want to get better about responding to people promptly and earnestly, out of respect for the inquiry and the relationship.
Phisically, I want to be more consistent with my practice of exercise. It makes a sizeable difference in my ability to remain stable and retain a positive outlook. Even missing a couple of days in a row, it really throws me off balance as a person, as a student, and as a professional. Exercise + Rest + Nutrition need to be prioritized.

In My Career I know I want to:

Be flexible in terms of time/location. I honestly would love to be able to work from anywhere, but have some sort of office/home base if it was possible as well.
I would like to work somewhere that takes me to other places. Nationally, and internationally would be really great.
I would like to work somewhere and for some cause that supports my values of humans helping humans, art and creativity, and balanced growth for the planet and the inhabitants of it.
It would be fun to work with some sort of organization that was working to develop some sort of innovative and game-changing technology, whether in environmental sciences, space exploration, medical technology, farming and agriculture, perhaps music, and so on.

By the end of the turing program, I would like to:

Be a person who is steadfast in their beliefs but open to change and learning forever.
Be someone who is accountable and reliable, who always goes above and beyond in the work that I do.
Be someone who is truly self confident, and can rely on myself to take good care of myself.
Be my biggest ally. I want to be more aware of how I conduct myself in groups of people, and what kind of energy I bring to/space I take up in a team.
Develop the ability to continually make the hard choices.
Learn how to balance intensely demanding workloads with tending to myself, my relationships, and my own life-activities.
be able to better support others when they need it.

4.  Ideate -- challenge assumptions

When you discussed software developers with your small group, what assumptions came up about what software developers actually do? What steps could you take to challenge those assumptions and find more facts to answer the question of what developers do? In addition to what a typical software developer life could look like, what do you want yours to include?


We discussed that we assume software developers typically work in teams, are organized and effecient, work to create solutions to problems, they are punctual and dependable, open to/interested in learning, and have a healthy and robust work ethic.


I could look into this further by reaching out to friends an people I know who work in the field. I can get specific about what kinds of working conditions, scheduling, and time commitments people in the real world experience.


I want my life as a software developer to be a good mix of technical and person-to-person work. I want to be very intentional about the kind of work I am doing and what cause my work supports. I would like to have flexibility in location and hours. I would like to have a balance of technology and nature. I would like my professional career to support my career as a musician and artist, and ideally have the two feed eachother in avenues of growth.


5. Prototype -- start creating solutions

What is the basic threshold that your new career must meet after Turing? What would you hope WILL NOT happen in your future after Turing? What is your absolute, no-holds-barred, ideal dream for your future after Turing?


My ideal dream is to design a career that is supportive of and feeds my creative and artistic life, while utilizing my potential towards creating solutions that can help to heal the world.


I hope that I will not settle for something that does not meet the above requirements. I hope that my career does not end up looking like a 9-5 office gig with a homogenous collection of people. I hope that I do not get persuaded by monitary success over working for a cause I believe in. I hope that I do not forsake my training for any reason and give up even if it is difficult to attain what I want in a career. And, after giving it a real solid try, I hope that if a career in software does not feel right for me that I will accept that, and follow my instincts. There is no limit to how many times I can try something new.


My no-holds-barred dream and basic threshold is that I will do work that benefits the planet and the people on it in a way that contributes to equity and equality.


5. Test –- solutions

Based on this week of reflections, write out your initial vision statement for your career:

I want to achieve a career that supports me in a solid and reliable way financially, and allows me the opportunity to pursue a life of artistic creation, travel, and growth while utilizing my potential towards creating solutions that can help heal the planet and its inhabitants. I hope to create a career path that allows me flixibility in time, and location, and ideally a career that involves travel both nationally and internationally. I want a career that involves a diverse and inclusive workplace/group of humans, and works hard to promote equity and equality for all people. I want a career that I would freely choose to give my time and energy to, and that also supports and ecourages that I devote time to my own well being, and to my family and loved ones. I want a career that does not trap me inside of a computer, and rather lets me use these skills/tools to access more of the real world than I could without them.
Mod 1 Week 5: Creating a Vision, Part II

Habits Reflection:

How have you seen yourself become more aware of your habits? Have you tried implementing anything new? What have the results been?


I have noticed an increased level of awareness around opportunites to choose how I react or respond to a given situation. I have noticed myself pausing to reflect on my initial reactions, and ask myself "is that how I want to proceed?" before acting on it. It is not automatic and it is not all the time that I am able to do this. It requires effort and intention and energy, and I notice that I am learning how to do it more frequently.


I have tried implementing taking short walks when I feel overwhelmed and stressed out. It has helped me to leave the cloud of stress that can start to linger in my workspace when shit gets tough, and get outside and put my mind on something simple while moving my body and taking deep breaths. It also serves as a physical reminder to take things "one step at a time" and I've found it to be a really helpful technique.


Design Thinking Reflection: Cultivating Beginner's Mind

How can beginner's mind be helpful when it comes to thinking about your career and job search? What are some habits you could put into place to cultivate beginner's mind regularly?


The Beginners Mind is an incredibly valuable perspective when you are planning a vision for the future. It is wasy to write a vision, subscribe to it, and say "This is how it should be." But what happens when that is not the case, or things change or go a different way? Or perhaps something surprises you? At that point, you might start to engage in a battle with "should". It is important to use a vision statement as a map, but acknowledge that not everything in the world is contained in a map of the world, and that true discovery often comes from stepping off of the prescribed path. By subscribing to absolutes, you close yourself off to a whole universe of possibility.


Meditation has been a very important practice for cultivation of the beginners mind.


As someone who has needed to "start over" with school, work, and relationships a number of times, I am really familiar with the state of the beginners mind, and have deep deep gratitude for the wisdom it provides.


As someone who occasionally likes to use marijuana and write about their thoughts, it can be a very powerful ally when it comes to cultivating the beginners mind.


Spending time in nature always provokes a beginners mind for me, and often the simple act of changing locations (In your house, in the city, in the country, world....) can create a huge shift in the way I see things. By traveling somewhere I've never been before, even if it's just a few blocks from my house, it can trigger a "beginner's mind" lense that is easier to continue looking through when returning to what you already know.


Optional additional reading: How to Cultivate Beginner's Mind to Become a True Expert
Go through the Flower Exercise brainstorming worksheets linked here. Then complete your Flower Exercise final worksheet here and link that finished worksheet here.

Aaron Burris-Deboskey's Flower Exercise final worksheet
Write out your top 5 strengths that you've seen in action this module; then write out the strengths of a software developer. Where do you see these lists overlapping? Where are they different?


Communication/Interpersonal relations
Problem solving
Attention to detail
Aesthetic/Design
Leadership + Collaboration

As far as I see it, these are all strengths of a software developer. I hope that's a valid answer!
Write a refined vision statement here (what new things have you discovered this week to incorporate into your vision statement?):

I think that my goal/purpose on this planet is to utilize my strengths to work towards causes that support the betterment of humans towards humans, and the betterment of humans towards the planet. This comes through constantly learning, teaching to help others learn, sharing and enjoying each other’s individualities and interests, and helping to support others by providing resources where I am able. I care deeply about sharing art and expression, and giving other’s space to feel that their art and expression is valued. I am interested in using my mind to help solve important problems, evolve technologies/science, and care for the planet and its people.
I want to achieve a career that supports me in a solid and reliable way financially, and allows me the opportunity to pursue a life of artistic creation, travel, and growth while utilizing my potential towards creating solutions that can help heal the planet and its inhabitants. I hope to create a career path that allows me flixibility in time, and location, and ideally a career that involves travel both nationally and internationally. I want a career that involves a diverse and inclusive workplace/group of humans, and works hard to promote equity and equality for all people. I want a career that I would freely choose to give my time and energy to, and that also supports and ecourages that I devote time to my own well being, and to my family and loved ones. I want a career that does not trap me inside of a computer, and rather lets me use these skills/tools to access more of the real world than I could without them.
I want to work for an organization who recognizes what I have to offer, supports my lifestyle and personal time, and gives me respect and agency in my position. An organization that I relate to personally and I believe in their intentions and cause.
I want to work with people who are reliable/dependable, and flexible/patient/understanding. People who are genuine, and compassionate, and fun. People who set healthy boundaries and encourage others to do the same. People who are weirdos. People who want to help lift eachother up, and recognise and utilize each other’s areas of specialty. People who are present with eachother, and who care to develop nuturing relationships with others.
In my work, I want to be able to deliver exactly what the client/user is asking for, and to be able to offer improved solutions, products, ways of doing things that the user may not have thought of. To be able to be empathetic and create things that only enhance a user’s experience and not hinder it in any way. To be equitable in design and access and purpose, to offer something that helps people and does so in a way that does not marginalize others. To be inventive, and explore new ways of accomplishing things.
I want to make an impact in/serve the following industries throughout my career:

Bio-conservation
Science/technology
Performing Arts
Space Exploration
Mental Health
Community Organization/Engagement (is that an industry?)
Education

Mod 2 Week 1: Building Habits to Become a Software Developer, Part II  

Ideas here are adapted from Atomic Habits by James Clear
Reflect on your habits from last module. What behaviors and activities were helpful for you? What activities and behaviors could be more effective for you? What processes would you like to try differently this module to become more effective at your work and as a software developer?


Some of the most important and effective habits from last module were the ones that prioritize taking care of my physical health, focused on bodily self care:

Stretching
Exercise (Particularly: cycling)
Staying Hydrated
Eating Well
Getting 7+ hours of sleep a night
Being very moderate about use of marijuana and alcohol


In terms of studies, one of the most important things I can do is preview/review lessons.

I think that being efficient with time management so that I have time for previewing/reviewing is imperative. Doing this will make or break my ability to thrive here.


I think that I need to focus on practicing these areas:

Time management, scheduling, building a routine and sticking to it.
Awareness of personal interactions, how I take up space with others, performing.
ROUTINE, holding myself accountable for that.
Escaping the clutches of Slack, it can be addicting just like social media can.
Using a pomo timer
Getting better at communicating/responding promptly + with care.
Keeping in touch/ watering special relationships that are not in my immediate sights.


Setting intentions for this module: who do I want to be this module? What specific habits would help me get there? How are those habits tied to the identity of a software developer?


I want to:

Be a student who is dilligent focused, and respectful.
I want to cultivate opportunities to engage with my inner guardian, become more aware of when I am acting performatively (flailing) and when I am signaling to seek affirmation. situational awareness, consideration of others, and self awareness are traits that make for a high quality human, and create conditions for deeply fruitful relationships (with self, and with others).
I want to get much better at managing my time by utilizing self imposed structure, so that I have space for all of the extra things I want to contribute to / learn (like photoshop/lightroom, devware, take deep dives into programming topics, and create real space for fun and self care.
Explore new modes of exercise, like yoga, and maybe try to recover and practice some of my Body Mind training.
Be more regular about seeing my therapist.


Incorporate temptation bundling to create a new habit by using this template:


After I make coffee, I will check emails, daily schedule, and make a plan the day if necessary.
After I make a plan, I will do 5 minutes of typing practice and do some morning coding.

How to enjoy “hard” habits: Reframe your habits to consider their benefits rather than their drawbacks; name 3 habits that you have to do and explain the benefits of them. How do they further your goals longterm? How will they add to your processes as a successful developer? At the end of the day, how do they add to your life?


Cleaning my room, kitchen, study, and living space: Even though this isn't one of the most fun areas of life, it is real maintainence that needs to be done, and makes a big difference in how my environment supports my quality of attention. Cleaning my space, and my personal belongings is deeply mentally cleansing, and despite the lack of allure it is one of those areas where I am always reminded of how big a difference it makes when I prioritize it. And the truth is, it doesn't really take all that much extra effort! It's just setting aside some extra time, and making the decision to do it. The value of decluttering your space, and thus decluttering your cognitive space, is immeasurable. This is part of the little bits of maintainence that go into making sure that you can operate at maximum capacity, within normal parameters.


Exercising is hugely beneficial, via clarity of mind, feeling of physical health and ability, and creating intentional space for somatic-emotional processing and 'cycling'. It can be easy to forget the benefits when I fall off of the train a bit, but similarly to cleaning my space, exercising my body is one of the biggest factors in keeping me afloat and balanced and stable and positive in my outlook. Exercising more frequently helps to allow my mind to operate at a higher level, and problem solve and manage my own needs and emotions and responses in a healthier way. It gives me the capacity to approach the seemingly impossible and huge tasks of programming.


Doing my PD work is really just like very intentional and focused journaling and self reflection. It is one of those tasks that because it takes time, and real intentional awareness and practice and thought to really examine your own mindsets, it is without a doubt one of the most long-term beneficial practices that are possible. The process of intentional self reflection, re-orientation, and intention / goal setting are the exploratory and hypothesising phase in the field of the personal growth sciences. Without making the time for this part of the process, growth and learning and development are much more haphazard and unpredictable (the "at the mercy of the wind" mindset). The clear and true path to deep and meaningful growth is one that must be chosen and re-chosen all of the time, it is not just a "happens when it happens" kind of life party trick. By becoming more consistent with my PD work, (i.e. doing it a little bit every day), it becomes more of a state of mind rather than an island of self reflection in a sea of autopilot behaviors. It also overall, takes waaaaay less time and effort in the long run when a little bit is accomplished every day (as opposed to waiting until the weekend to get started and having to put multiple hours in all at once to finish it by the deadline. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Definitely still learning, but getting the hang of this will help me make dear friends with my procrastination tendencies.


Environment design (optional 5-min. additional reading: Motivation is Overvalued. Environment Often Matters More): how does your environment set-up currently help you with your habits? How could it be improved to make it easier for you to follow through on your habits?


My environment is set up for success in some ways, I have 2-3 different established workspaces in my house, that tend to affect me and my focus differently depending on where I'm at in any given moment of the day. It allows me to re-locate throughout the day, and retain some freshness and make me less prone to zoning out.


I could definitely focus more on keeping my desk space and the above working spaces clean and organized every time I use them. The practice of "beauty way" is to respect your space by always taking care of it, treating it with respect every time we occupy our various spaces, understanding a different level of 'sacred' interaction and intention with how our environment is (the result of) an action.


Creating a little more floorspace where I could stretch out and do short exercises on pom breaks would be really lovely. I know that when I have more open floorspace, I tend to use it.


Spending time near windows, or outside as much as possible also helps keep a fresh and thriving outlook on the task at hand, and helps


I keep my phone in a different room than my area of study, to really distance myself from it throughout the work day.


“When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.” Read this 4-min article on how to stop procrastinating. Apply the 2-minute rule to reframe 2-3 of your habits by scaling them down into the 2-minute version. How does this reframing help you think about shaping your new identity as a software developer?


Cleaning the kitchen becomes: Putting 1 dish in the dishwasher, or put one away.


Clean room: Put one thing away that isn't currently being used.


Exercise: Do the Kungfu knee-ups and kicks warmup.


This is a really awesome strategy for making any activity easy to start. Most of the time, my own procrastination just comes from the weight of how much energy it takes to do an entire task. If I can start reframing it on to how much it takes just to do the first thing, and having that be the entrance of the wormhole that is the task, then all I need to do is fly into the entrance of the wormhole, and the rest is physics.


Tasks in software development can often feel so big, and like they require so much effort that it's easier just to push them to the side for a little while, until the pressure of the deadline forces you to do a task begrudgingly. Using the starting task as a little hors d'oeuvres to get ya hungry and make your mouth engaged and activated will help whet your appetite for the tasks that are to follow. This is the process of "how do you eat an elephant?"


Mod 2 Week 2: Professional Storytelling & Branding  

Assess your habits from week 1: how did you spend your time this past week? What was effective in your habits? What could be more effective? What steps will you take to make that happen?


I spent the bulk of my time this week being consumed by the first paired project of this module. This project has been a real doozy, and has reminded me of the real commitment that is required to thrive at turing. I have quite honestly been gettin my ass kicked. Some things that I have not been doing that I know would really help me:

Meditating
Exercising
Getting good, consistent sleep
Using my journal or tracking my habits accurately.


When I do not prioritize these things it can really throw me off of my game. Some things that I have been doing that clearly do help me are:

Awareness of my personal interactions and how much space I leave in groups.
Previewing lesson material

I think that printing new habit tracking sheets, and trying to write more in my journal can really help provide consistent reflections to help me monitor how I am doing. I notice that it is really easy to lose track, and all of a sudden it has been a week since I last exercised, or meditated and stretched. A really clear sign of needing to support myself more physically is how my spine got out of whack this week, and for a good few days I felt totally physically out of the game.
Write a draft of your professional story here as 1-2 paragraphs. Focus on answering the questions who are you, why are you here, and what's next? Consider how to talk about your motives and values, the turning points that led to your career change, and what you envision for yourself going forward.

Growing up, I have always been involved in the performing arts. When I was much younger it was theater, when I was exploring options for college, it was music. I recieved a BM in music composition, and over the last 10+ years I have been working in many different avenues of music - teaching, performing, recording, retail, etc... I has always satisfied my soul, but as I grow older I'm becoming painfully aware of how spread thin I have been, and how exhausting the hustle of being a musician is.
Over the last couple of years, I have developed a performing arts company in Denver called Witches & Science, which is truly a culmination of all of my creative paths. It is my baby, my passion project, and has allowed me to combine everything I have learn to create deeply rewarding projects with a community of artists that I love. But having to work 3+ jobs to sustain my life has left me with little extra time/energy to devote to what I really want to be doing. Enter Turing. Pursuing a path of development through this program has appeared to me as a vehicle to manifest and traverse the life that I want: A rewarding, flexible, growth oriented career path with almost limitless applications, (no pun intended), that will support my passions and my artistic and community-oriented interests outside of my working hours. This career path has already allowed me to push myself harder than I ever have before. and I look forward to learning myself more and more with each challenge that greets me along this path.
Update your LinkedIn profile with the following: updated photo/headshot, headline, summary statement using your story, and Turing added to your experience and education sections. Include a link to your profile here in the journal. Remember the guidelines and tips from the lesson here.


Here is my LinkedIn profile

What other steps will you take this week to update your branding or practice your story?


I attended Leta Keane's presentation during this week's spike event about how to represent your voice, your personality and your values through building a personal website. Her presentation was awesome, and it's amazing to consider the ways that one can represent their story through a visual environment such as a website. She published the notes from her presentation, and I intend on revisiting it and practicing some of the strategies for distilling a vision that were presented. I think that building the blueprints and intention for a personal website can reflect so much about how you view yourself, and how that may come across to others.

Mod 2 Week 3: Job Search Strategies 

Assess your habits from week 2: how did you spend your time this past week? What was effective in your habits? What could be more effective? What steps will you take to make that happen?


This past week was mostly spent wrapping up our paired project, studying for the mid-mods, and trying to take some deep breaths, and find some space to take care of myself.


I feel like I am learning how to approach being in groups a bit differently. I'm learning how to leave more space, and prioritise listening over being heard. I have made a commitment to myself to learn how to do less performing for other people, and focus more on the radical acceptance of who I am, and who others are, and really trying to respect what sharing space looks like.


I am still really struggling to maintain my practices of self care, (exercise, good sleep, meditation, journaling). Mod 2 has been another level of demanding, and I have found it more difficult to remain steadfast in my habits and practices in the face of the all-consuming projects.


The current group that I started working with at the end of this week has a much different schedule than I'm used to with projects so far, with some really consistent scheduling restrictions. I am hoping to use these restrictions to help me dedicate more intentional time to take care of my body, my mind. I know that I love going with the flow and being sporadic, but I am a creature that truly thrives from routine.


Reflect on how you’ve spent your time so far at Turing to gauge your engagement and energy:

When have you been excited, focused, and enjoyed your work?


I get really excited during the solo projects. Even though I have always considered myself a collaborator, I'm learning that I really like to work alone, and get my hands really dirty with (become immersed in) the projects or study that I am working on.


I Really like doing code practice repos like JSFun or mythical creatures. Coming from life as a musician, "The Shed" (the practice room) is one of the most sacred places/mindsets. Practice repos like this are a way to put in your reps, practice the craft, perfect and expand on your techniques. Those repos are where I tend to lose track of time, and find the rhythm of flow.


When have you felt bored, restless, or unhappy?

I think I feel bored, restless and unhappy when I am being inconsistent with the workload that I have to take care of. I will put off doing a task because it may not be as engaging or interesting as something else, and then when I eventually have to make that time, It's much less engaging or interesting than it would have been before, and there is the added pressure of the time crunch.


When do you feel energized in your work?


I feel energized when I am working with a partner (partners) that is (are) fun and has (have) a positive attitude, who values (value) the efficiency of the time that we spend working together, and the autonomy of dividing the workload and having an understanding of agency between eachother.


I feel energized and excited when I get to build UI, and do the construction worker of the internet kinda thing. I like the tinkering around, getting to see your results, and the process of experimenting that often comes with wrangling html and css.


When is your energy drained?


Again, I feel like I am most drained when I am inconsistent. Keeping lesson tabs open all week, with the intent to review them, and then when I finally have the time, there are like 6-8 lessons to review and the thought alone just exhausts me. Just like project management, where the art of the task is to break things up into small, digestible chunks, it is really important for me to take that approach with


I am also quite drained when it feels like a project partner does not understand how to be efficient with and respectful of the limited amount of time that we get to work together on projects. I'm all about socializing, and chatting, and being friends, but I find it really draining when the task is work that needs to be done, and it's squandered by tangents and sidetracks and "cart before the horse" kinda conceptual discussions. I know that I am guilty of it too, and I want to really figure out how to resolve that when it happens.


Setting up habits and routines to make time for the job search this module:

Block out time on your calendar this week to work on your job search. When will you make this happen? How will you hold yourself accountable to this? What activities will you focus on during this time this week? What outcomes do you hope to reach by the end of this week because of these activities?


As I am just now catching up on this PD work at the end of the module, I am planning to devote some time over break to checking in with mentors and connections in the tech world, and use the key: values website to start surveying companies that align with my values.


I hope that by the end of the intermission, I will have connected with at least 2 professionals in the tech world, and will have a clearer idea of what kinds of companies I might want to work for in the future.


Applying wayfinding to using job search resources


Go through the resources listed here and explore 2-3 tools. List what you looked at here:
Apply wayfinding: of what you looked at, what did you discover that aligns with your vision? If it didn't align with your vision, what will you try next?
Find a job posting that aligns with your vision. What's the posting? How does it align with what you're looking for? Add it to your Huntr.
What next steps will you take to explore that opportunity and find contacts? Add that information to your Huntr card.

Mod 2 Week 4: Building Habits to Become a Software Developer, Part III  

Ideas here are adapted from Atomic Habits by James Clear
1) Assess your habits from week 3: how did you spend your time this past week? What was effective in your habits? What could be more effective? What steps will you take to make that happen?


Quite honestly, this week I have found myself being pushed to my limit. I have been very wobbly with my self-care practices, and it's resulted in me feeling very overwhelmed, and honestly burned out. I have had a hard time focusing, organising my time and sustaining the energy to work on things, and as a result the last couple of projects have been turned in incomplete, and with work that I really consider to be sub-par for myself. I am still really enjoying this education, but I am beat down and burned out and really considering what it would mean to repeat this module.


One thing I did do, which felt important and healthy, was start using a habit tracker sheet again. The template I use is from a journal called "clear" which was developed in collaboration with our good friend James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. It's a simple check-box grid that works for any calendar month, and using it just helps me keep track of the "chain" and really observe my behaviors in a different way.


I was able to build in time to take short breaks on my bicycle, which really restores my reserve of positive-outlook-energy.


2) Implement a reiforcement strategy: to make one of your habits more satisfying, what is a reward you can give yourself immediately after completing the habit? How will this reward encourage you to continue completing that habit?


After I complete a good chunk of a project or a session of PD work or what have you, I'm allowing myself 15-30 minutes of guitar practice. I love practicing the guitar, but while at turing I have not really allowed myself to take the time to practice much at all. Giving myself this permission makes me really excited to complete a chunk of work and connect with one of my deepest loves.

3) "Don't Break the Chain": Use a habit tracker


What is a habit that you want to make sure to do every day? How could you visually cue yourself to complete it (i.e., moving a paper clip)? How can you visually track it each time you've completed it? Could you automate the tracking? How will you do that?


Need help? Check out one of these habit tracking apps


As stated above, I keep a copy of the habit tracking chart from the "Clear" habit tracking journal on a clipboard next to my bed. I try to review the habits that are there every morning, and review and check off habits before I go to bed at night. Honestly just using a real pencil on a real piece of paper on a real clipboard is deightful to do in itself, and makes checking in with my habits that much more enjoyable.


4) How to get back on track when missing a habit: if you miss a day or two of completing your habit, how will you get yourself going again?


What makes habits easy to neglect sometimes is the percieved size of the task, even if the full habit itself isn't that daunting. When I find myself in this position, I try to get back into the habit by boiling it down to it's smallest starting component to just help me start doing it. If my habit is reading, and I haven't done it in a couple of days, I try to just read one page. Usually, by the time I've put the book down I've actually read several pages and feel like there is some momentum to move forward.

5) Pick an accountability partner (your cohort accountabilibuddy, your mentor, a close friend, etc.) and create a habit contract with them. How often will you check in with each other? How will they hold you accountable?


I reached out to a classmate who I know also really values excercise in their self-care routine, and we decided to be accountabilibodies. We are going to check in on a weekly basis about how our exercise routines are going, and give eachother gentle reminders of why it's important to us if we are falling off of the habit train.

Mod 2 Week 5: Outreach & Networking I  

Review your habit tracker: how did you monitor your habit(s)? What does this tell you about your overall progress becoming the person you want to be? In general, how satisfied are you with how you spent your time this module? What could be improved next module?


I found that using my habit tracking sheet and clipboard has started to put me back in the game as far as many of my self care habits are concerned. Just the simple act of viewing what habits you'd like to be keeping when getting up in the morning keeps them more readily in mind.


These habits that I'm keeping track of are all things that I belive the ideal me would exhibit. It's hard to keep up on every single one of those things every day, but by making sure to keep touching them as frequently as possible I'm making steps towards closing the gap between the ideal version of myself and the "live action" version of myself.


I am maybe 55-60% satisfied with how I spent my time this module. I really dropped the ball on making sure to take care of myself about halfway through the mod and it made a huge impact on my ability to retain information, and execute on my work. I also totally forgot about using a pom timer. As someone who often struggles with focusing on work for prolonged periods of time, using a pom timer just holds me accountable for doing what I'm intending to do while that timer is running. It's simple psychological sugar, but it seems to make a real tangible difference.


Next module I want to try to establish more of a routine. I am usually a very go-with-the-flow type of person, and when there is a seemingly endless pile of work to be done, that free-floating approach doesn't work very well.
I think that using a pom timer makes a big difference in terms of my ability to stay on task and I will try to be more dilligent about that.


I also really need to check in with myself more, through body scans or meditation or simply just taking a walk and asking myself the question "how are you feeling right now". I tend not to realize that I'm getting overwhelmed or burned out until it's too late, and I want to work on building in practices that let me smell the smoke before the whole house is on fire.


Mind Maps:
* 1. Engagement. What did you reflect on last week in regards to when you're engaged in your work at Turing? Pull out an idea that resonates with you most (e.g., "Talking through a problem with a partner," "The moment when I solve a problem that I previously didn't know how to do," "Setting up a successful project management process for my team") and break that idea down into parts and make a list (what are all the steps that go into that moment? When do you get to use your strengths? What is fun about this?).


I feel deeply engaged when debugging problems in code.

Make sure you can repeat the problem.
Pinpoint the moment/place that the problem happens.
Look through the network of associations, find all the paths that lead to the problem.
Inspect each element at each stage of the process, what's happening? What value is being used/represented/returned?
Locate the problem.
Discover why problem is happening.
Make necessary changes, fix the problem, rejoice.

This process leverages my attention to detail, and interest in exploring, dissecting, reasoning and problem solving, to help me break down a sequence of events and understand the how and why of a thing. This kind of sleuthing, focus, exploration, and puzzle solving is honestly thrilling to me. When debugging, it often feels like my brain is operating at hyperspeed, which leads to that "focus" feeling > feeling of progress > feeling of accomplishment > feeling of pride and validation. It is one of the most rewarding feelings I have found in programming.


* 2. Energy. What did you reflect on last week in regards to when you feel most energized in your work at Turing? Pull out an idea that resonates with you most and break that idea down into parts and make a list (what are all the steps that go into that moment? When do you get to use your strengths? What is fun about this?).


Zoom out to a bird's eye view.

Step back from a problem/project/personal situation.
Create time/space to process
Pause, breathe, de-stress, recouperate.
Get a much broader perspective.
See the forest for the trees
See important details that you could not see from close up.
Understand how the parts work together to create the whole.
Get to know the vibe, character and personality of the thing you are working with.
Get an overview, make a plan, make a map, discover new things.


This process helps to engage the diffuse mode of thinking in the brain, to allow the brain to make connections in a broader scope than possible when things are so up close. It allows us to spin our wheels a little slower, get some space, and not burn as much fuel as when we are up close. It allows you to learn different aspects of a thing, the shape, the personality, the hidden character that you may now have been able to see before. It is fun to look at something from a different angle and see new things.


* 3. Flow. When have you had an experience recently in which you were in a state of flow? You can also think about this as "joy" or "play." Pull out an idea that resonates with you most and break that idea down into parts and make a list (what are all the steps that go into that moment? When do you get to use your strengths? What is fun about this?).


Design

Creativity > freedom > thinking outside the box > abstract > Art.
Play > Fun > Excitement > Curiosity
Aesthetic > Style > Character > Space > Environment
Me > Personal > Soul > My Mind > My Own Thing
Function > Does The Thing > Solves a Problem > Makes Sense
Efficiency > Minimal Effort > Maximum Effect > Precision > Does What's Needed
Empathy > Usability > Simplicity > Ease


Design lights me up. I love the things that can happen when you embrace the abundance of choices to make in a proccess. Thinking outside the box, and chasing sparks when you find them is what creation is all about. Design is something that makes me lose track of time, that I could do into the wee hours of the night. It makes me think of what Michaelangelo said about sculpting: "Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it". The moment when you actually start to see what's inside of the block of stone is Incredible.


Prototype your mind maps: what do these mind maps tell you about what's important to you as a software developer? What questions do they bring up about what you still want to learn about this career?


These maps tell me that Design, function, perspective, and problem solving are really important to me as a developer. I appreciate a good blend of autonomy and collaboration, freedom and structure, and being both detail orinted and big picture oriented.


I want to learn more about ways to break big problems down, and decide the best ways to approach not stressing out when faced with the "impossible task"


Prototype your outreach: (Be prepared to share this in your small group discussion)


Who comes to mind as a person you can reach out to? Why that person? What questions would you ask them? Come up with 2-3 people here to serve as prototypes


How would this outreach help you further your job search strategy?


My friend/mentor Stefan Ramsbott works as a director of a company in denver called PROOF, and is one of the main reasons that I decided to study programming at Turing. We have not connected much since I started studying at Turing. Now that I know a little bit about what this industry actually is, I feel like I'd like to talk to Stephen about what I'm interested and what parts of the industry might be a good fit for that.


My Friend Brian Bauer is a recent graduate of Turing's backend program and is also a former co-worker of mine. I would like to reach out to him and talk about the job hunt, and how he's approaching it.


Another friend is a fellow musician named Ming, who works as a developer here in Denver. I would be interested in finding out a little more about what he does for a living, and what kind of steps he might recommend for a fledgling dev like me.


Outreach & Networking Plan: Based on your reflections above, create a concrete plan for your outreach:

Who is the right person for you to reach out to?

I need to follow up with Stefan, as he really set me on this path and I think it would be really important to nurture that connection.


How will you find them? How do you know they’re the right person?

I have their phone number, I have a good feeling about connecting with them.


How will you reach out?

I will send a text following up to our last conversation, and find a time to have a lil zoom call.


What questions do you need to ask them?

I want to mostly check in, and talk to Stefan about what kinds of areas I'm interested in working in, and see his thoughts about it.


How will you use this information to further your solution?

This will help me calibrate my job-search-headings.


How will you follow up?

With a phone call.


Execute your plan:

Reach out to your contact THIS WEEK. If possible, reach out to more than one person OR find a meetup to attend also. What happened? What other next steps should you take? If this is a person connected to a company you're interested in, be sure to add it to your Huntr card.

To be determined! It has not yet happened, I will update this as I make progress!
Module 3 Journal Reflections

Intermission Reflections

Please list the top 3-5 industries and companies you'll pursue in your job search as of right now.

Why did you pick the industries/companies that you listed above? How do they relate to the values and goals you have for yourself in your job search?

How does your LinkedIn currently reflect your goals and industry interests? What changes will you need to make to your LinkedIn to better reflect these?

Mod 3

Week 1: Intermission Reflections/Week 1 Responses

Initial Draft of Resume


 (completed)
 (partially complete)
 (not started)

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Week 2: [Link here to your gist]


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Week 3: [Link here to your gist]


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Week 4: Here is my Journal from last week!


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After struggling to keep up and feeling very overwhelmed this mod, I thought that the best thing for me to do was to try and just get back on track with where we currently were, rather than worrying too much about playing catch up.
I really appreciate your understanding and gentle encouragement in your comments, it has made it much easier to pick my head up and ask "ok, what can I do about this right now?"

Week 5: [Link here to your gist]


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Mod 4

Intermission Journal Entry

Week 1: [Link here to your gist]


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Week 2: [Link here to your gist]


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Week 3: [Link here to your gist]


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Week 4: [Link here to your gist]


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Week 5: [Link here to your gist]


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