The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted many of our lives. Especially for young people who are transitioning from the student life stage to a young working adult.
Before the pandemic, many of us lived sheltered and stable lives, pursuing traditional indicators of success such as good jobs, material gains, power and prestige. But after the pandemic, our equilibrium was lost and our priorities and definitions of success changed.
The pandemic has taught us that life is not just about these traditional metrics of success. forced us to re-evaluate what gives us
For many young people, this leads to confusion, anxiety and even hopelessness. Some may feel like they are struggling, not knowing what their future holds or what they should be striving for.
But it doesn’t have to be.
The pandemic has also presented us with opportunities. It is an opportunity to redesign and empower ourselves, take control of our lives and futures, and pursue success and significance in our own way.
To restore clarity, happiness and meaning to our lives, we can start with these simple strategies.
Strategy 1: Ground yourself in who you are
One of the most important steps to empowering yourself for success and importance is to be grounded in who you are.
This means having a deep understanding of your abilities, values, passions, and goals, and using that understanding to guide your decisions and actions.
MentorsHub (Youth at MentorsHub, a mentoring platform founded in 2015, helps underserved youth transition from studies and first jobs to fulfilling and impactful career paths) , undergoing this process of self-discovery and self-development.
An example is shown below. His MentorsHub mentee, 26-year-old Jess, was an underperforming student who needed to prove himself. She has participated in many of her challenges and has applied to almost every management program she knows.
Within a month of graduating, she landed her dream job at a top-tier consulting firm, but she felt she was on the wrong journey.
But after her MentorsHub mentor taught her how to lay the groundwork for her life, she learned to listen to her heartbeat. She is her beliefs, innate abilities, core values, passions, and personality.
As she became more self-aware, Jess embraced her unique qualities rather than trying to fit into other people’s molds, rediscovering what was most important to her and what she was good at.
This has allowed her to make more informed decisions about her career, relationships, and other areas of her life. Today, she does her part, co-creating technology solutions that improve the processes that impact lives.
This shows that being grounded in who you are is a powerful tool for empowering yourself. By doing so, you can chart a path to authentic and fulfilling success and significance.
Strategy 2: Play to your strengths and act purposefully
Once you have a better understanding of who you are, the next step in empowering yourself is to play to your strengths and use your time, energy, and resources purposefully.
This means identifying your unique talents and abilities and using them to achieve your goals in a purposeful and purposeful way.
Another mentee, 27-year-old Helmi, knew she had a knack for math and arithmetic, but was only in her early twenties and only knew about the top five talent themes.
Developed by CliftonStrengths, the Talents theme represents a profound component of human behavior and what we are naturally best at.
That research shows that the deliberate development of talent themes can lead to strengths that, when applied diligently, can help you achieve your goals.
To showcase her talent as a learner, Helmi has become more open-minded to trying new things, stepping out of her comfort zone and into uncharted territory.
To prepare himself for the long term, he set strategic goals and prioritized time and resources for self-development.
Focused on developing his critical thinking, digital, and coding skills, he entered case competitions during his school days and searched for internships that matched his skill set.
His assignment to manage the school’s database then opened the door for Apple, giving him the opportunity to spearhead a project. He also challenged himself by taking on leadership roles to build people and project management skills.
Helmi’s analytical and problem-solving skills were honed by the demanding projects he worked on over the years.
This anecdote shows that identifying your strengths and using them deliberately can help you reach your goals more efficiently and effectively.
As Tom Rath said, “If you spend most of your time trying to be good at everything, you eliminate the possibility of being good at anything.”
Also, intentional use of time, energy, and resources will give you a greater sense of balance and accomplishment.
Strategy 3: Have a Personal Vision Beyond Career and Financial Success
Career and financial success are important, but they are not the only measures of a fulfilling life.
To truly empower yourself for success and significance, it is important to have a personal vision that goes beyond these traditional metrics of success. It means having a sense of purpose and direction that guides your actions.
One way to clarify your personal vision (“what success looks like”) is through exercises that help define purpose, direction, and mission. For example, you can write a personal mission statement outlining your life purpose and goals.
According to The Economist, Steve Jobs’ vision for Apple in 1980 was:
Armed with this vision, he pioneered an array of innovative technologies including the iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, MedTech wearables, e-Wallets, Siri and more. Today they have changed the way we work, live and play. and sleep.
Another exercise you can do is to reflect on your past experiences and note the ones that brought you the most joy and fulfillment.
what were you doing who were you with? — The answers to these questions will provide clues to your personal vision, identifying what success means to you and how you are important to others. is useful for
Having a personal vision beyond career and financial success is a powerful way to self-development, but it’s important to note that everyone struggles to define it.
The important thing is to have a sense of purpose so that direction can guide your decisions and actions in the present.
So instead of giving up in difficult times, I’ve heard people say, redesign your work and life. For many of us, this means changing definitions of success and the need for personal empowerment.
Empowering yourself for success and significance is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process of self-discovery and personal development.
The strategies outlined will keep you grounded and give you an inner compass to your destination, even in the midst of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.
About the author:
Candice Chee, PhD, is a strategy consultant and author of QuarterTime: Living an Empowered Life in Your 20s. She founded her MentorsHub to inspire young people to live lives of purpose and meaning.
