- Power of self-reflection
- What is challenging about self-reflection?
That we/you as a person don't set time aside for self-reflection, or we convince ourselves that we don't have enough time for self relfection. It can also be hard to know what type of questions one should ask themselves.
- How can you continue to build the habit of self-reflection at Turing?
I should carve out time for self-relection daily, either first time in the morning or at night. I think writing in a journal even briefly to track my self-reflecting progress and how my goals/view change over time.
- 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
- Middle ring: list aspects of your chosen identity
- 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.
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?
From what I gather from this, I shouldn't focus on my given attributes since I have no control over those. I think I share some of the basic traits that already exist in the tech industry; being a white, male. I need to focus on my other traits such as my love for the environment and my love for community.
- 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?
I think one of my munuses is that I'm not a networker, nor do have any networks or contacts; which I believe is a big part of the tech industry. Not totally sure how this would be an asset other than I have no network to talk bad about me. I guess being part of the Turing commmunity and network and all the people I will meet through Turing will become my 'tech' network.
- Values mapping Pull out 5 values for each bullet below from this list:
- Always valued: Loyalty, Kindess, Family, Problem Solving, Community, Adventure
- Often valued: Challenge, Relaxation, Location, Work with Others, Work Alone
- Sometimes valued: Success, Growth, Career, Being in Control, Ambition
- Seldom valued: Spiritual Growth, Worship, Status, Faith, Aesthetics
Reflect:
- What do these values tell you about yourself?
That I highly value a close-knit community/family where kindness and loyalty are practiced traits. These values really don't tell me anything new that I don't already know about myself, but it does make me feel like a decent person when I read them over, and someone who could one day become a positive influence in the tech industry.
- 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):
My workview is that I want work that is challenging, and makes my brain engage. I want to feel like I'm doing something while I work, and I want to be apart of some sort of community. Furthermore, I want to feel like I'm earning my money by doing work, not just sitting in a chair collecting money for no output/production.
- Lifeview: summarize what you value in life; what matters to you?
I have always been apart of a community my entire life, I've never lived in a city or town above 20,000 people. I like to interact with people on a small scale. I have a burning passion for the outdoors, and speed all my free time outside. I value my relationships with my friends and family dearly. I would also like to stop living paycheck to paycheck, and for once in my life have a saving account.
- Where do your views on work and life complement each other?
They complement each other in that in both work and life views I'm looking for some sort of community.
- Where do they clash?
Well they clash in that I value my time outside, and tech is generally spent inside in front of a computer.
- Does one drive the other? How?
Yes, I think having an appropriate balance between work and life would allow me to pursue my passion for the outdoors with my friends and family, while work would be able to provide and sustain those habits. Furthermore, having a rewarding career in tech would allow me to recreate outside without having any feelings of guilt that I'm not doing something more meaningful or impactful with my life. I could live a life of balance!