Comments on: Why you already know what you should be doing next

By: Jackie

Jackie — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:22:00 +0000

I agree that you can look to your younger self to find out about your current self. However, I must caution that you can often look back and see what you want to see. You pull the characteristics out of the story that you want to pull out, which match your version of what you are today. Your perception of yourself changes and I would say that for anyone, the way that you view an event and the characteristics of yourself that you see are different as your current perception of yourself changes. I have seen this in myself. I sunk into depression and saw a particular event in my childhood very differently from when I wasn't depressed- and I caught myself thinking that way. I think that it would be very interesting to keep a detailed diary of your life from as young an age as you can (something I have tried to do as much as possible) and see whether the characteristics that you see today match the ones you saw in the past. I also believe that your awareness of a characteristic can increase over time, and you can see that characteristic better as your life goes on, even if it was there all along- the hard thing is to distinguish between whether it was there but you didn't see it or if you see it now but it wasn't really there.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:20:23 +0000

thanks very much, great information. Keep up the great work.

By: Why your life experience makes you a great recent-grad candidate | TalentEgg Student Career Incubator

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:28:28 +0000

[...] other day, Penelope Trunk published an article called 'Why you already know what you should be doing next', and I very much related to the main point. This is the story she told: "The second best day [...]

By: Why your life experience makes you a great recent-grad candidate | TalentEgg Blog: Campus Recruitment and Entry-Level Job Search

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:53:30 +0000

By: You Already Know What You’re Good At « Spiddlement

You Already Know What You’re Good At « Spiddlement — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:59:02 +0000

[...] tagged career, career advice, jobs, self help at 3:58 am by escaperabbit Penelope Trunk wrote a nice article recently on The Brazen Careerist blog that echoes what I seem to keep re-learning over and over [...]

By: Nathan Snell

Nathan Snell — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:07:14 +0000

In the story about the farmer, I think he convinced you to do things his way… or you were holding back for first impressions ;)

By: Dale

Dale — Sat, 24 May 2008 21:18:35 +0000

As a child, to get out of my really unpleasant life I would read anything that I could get my hands on and make up stories. I kept my little brother mesmerized with tales of adventure and he followed me around like I was a hero. He was the only person who thought I was worth anything and
I miss those days, but only for that. The rest of the time I spent listening to my parents fight and being teased endlessly by classmates. No one but a couple of teachers ever hit me, (because I was lucky enough to be built like a truck back then) but back then in the West Indies, corporal punishment was normal. In fact, they only did it because they "cared" and because my father told them that I was a dreamer and a slacker, and needed to be "straightened out."

Fast forward 30 years, and I'm still day-dreaming, telling stories to my children and making up games for them to play. Come to think of it, I'm at my happiest when I'm wrapped up in a good book or spinning a tale for my little and not so little ones. I even have a board game out that is doing okay; go figure. But, my serious career is the most frustrating and unfulfilling exercise in monotony. Hey, if I had heard and listened to your advice back when I was young and could do something about it, I'd probably be a teacher or author or some such day-dreaming slacker today. I guess it's never too late…

By: phreaked

phreaked — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:36:59 +0000

Exactly true.

Some of the best advice my mother ever gave me was to not forget who you were when you were 5 years old.

That is the essential You. The You that existed before society came calling mandating how you should act.

When people ask me to describe myself I usually think of that 5 year old and talk about her.

By: Facing Abuse » Blog Archive » You know all the answers already!

Facing Abuse » Blog Archive » You know all the answers already! — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:15:30 +0000

[...] Well, damnit, that's not the post I am trying to write today, although it cries out to be written and will certainly be coming soon. My point today is that despite my struggles with self-promotion, I am pulled to read things like Brazen Careerist, and in that particular blog I have found a great treasure trove of smart, clear writing not only about business matters but about life. And I really knew I had found something good when I read Why you already know what you should be doing next. [...]

By: Katybeth

Katybeth — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:51:32 +0000

My husband is trying to figure out "what next" in his life–I shared your post and he actually thanked me! I played with dolls and dogs as a child–bossing both around—I grew up to be a stay at home mom that earns her living as a professional pet spoiler!
Thanks,this is the first article I have read by you and I am sure it will be one of many! Not forgetting to mention that I will keep in touch on twitter!