At a large school such as Virginia Tech, it’s easy to feel insignificant and forget how unique we all are. During our time at this amazing university, each of us has a specific path to take and passion to find. Part of finding our passion and how we want to implement that into our education is finding out who we are as individuals. So how do we do that? Unfortunately, there isn’t a rubric for it and finding out who you are is a completely different experience for everyone. However, if you try some of these simple tips, you’ll start out on the right track.
1. Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment: This is a great resource available to any Virginia Tech student. The online talent assessment results give your top five strengths and insight to what each of them mean. Getting to know what your strengths are can help you find out what motivates you to do your best in school and how you can exceed in the workplace. The test took less than 20 minutes and it’s FREE, so you really have no excuse not to take it. You can find the test at http://www.dsa.vt.edu/initiatives/strengths.php.
2 Journaling: In the December De-Stress monthly meeting, McKenzi MacDowall mentioned how she journals often to be able to look back on significant days of her life. She talked about how she learned a lot about herself by, “going back and looking at my thought process during a struggle I was going through at the time.” Writing in a journal certainly doesn’t have to be an everyday thing (honestly, who has the time??) and the entries don’t have to be a full page. Make sure to include the date, and then write about a thought you had or when something significant happens in your life, including the successes and the failures. Looking back on when you fell can help you to learn how to get back up again. It’s a great way to get in touch with yourself and preserve memories.
3. Get To Know Yourself: During the year we’re constantly around other people. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s good to be surrounded by our friends in a time where we may be more stressed than usual. But, sometimes we need to be alone to get in touch with ourselves. Like Marissa Wharton said in her most recent article, Winter Break is a great time to spend some much needed “me-time,” and get to know yourself. Go get coffee or read and reflect on what helped you tick this past semester. Do something that you genuinely enjoy doing, and consider if it might be a passion that you could translate into your education at Virginia Tech and career.
4. Try New Things: One of the best ways to learn more about yourself is to try something new or unusual. While you have the time during these next couple weeks, go out and do something that scares you! This could also continue into Spring semester. Make a goal to do something that you’ve been unsure of trying. Run for a leadership position in CWIB, apply for a competitive internship, or take a class you wouldn’t usually take. You might be surprised by a newfound interest or passion. You never know until you try!
5. Don’t Look Too Far: When it comes to trying to find out who you are, don’t overthink it. Sadly, your experience probably won’t be like the end of a Disney movie, where the main character suddenly knows their purpose in life. But there’s no need to stress, you’ll get there. Start with something simple, like sitting down to make a list of things that you are good at, what motivates you, and characteristics or strengths that are specific to YOU. We get caught up in thinking that you have to travel across the world or go through a major trial to find out who we are. The person you are looking for is right in front of you!
Finding yourself isn’t a matter of trying to become a certain type of person, it’s about defining how you are unique and how you can implement those qualities into your everyday life. Once you figure out how to turn your unique characteristics into your strongest assets, you will find something truly special: the person you already are.