Your Progress

Week 4: How to Plan Your Next Steps

Episode 3

Episode 4

How to Plan Your Next Steps

Video Time: 3 Minutes Action Time: 20-45 Minutes

Who do you want to be?

An existential crisis forces you to ask yourself tough questions like: What is my purpose in life? Who do I want to be?

Let’s take Martin’s life as an example. His parents forced him to study accounting in college because it was a “dependable” career with a steady income. Because of this, Martin has been wasting away at his accounting job for ten years. He is tired of dealing with stressed-out, upset clients about their taxes. His work as an accountant is highly repetitive, and he longs for some variety. Every tax season, he asks himself: Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?

When confronted with these questions, many people feel anxious and overwhelmed. Don’t worry! That’s a perfectly
normal feeling. We’ll show you how to navigate your existential crisis step by step

Super Steps

What makes me happy every day?
FRIENDS, MORNING COFFEE, SUDOKU.
What stresses me out and depresses me?
DEADLINES, LACK OF PIRECTION, BILLS.
What am I truly passionate about?
PYTHON, CODING, COMPUTERS.
What makes me unsatisfied with my present career?
TAX SEASON, SO MUCH STRESS.
What does my dream job have that my current job doesn’t?
CREATIVITY, EXCITEMENT, NOT HAVING TO PEAL
WITH RUPE CLIENTS.

Ask yourself some
existential questions.

Asking these existential questions can help you understand yourself on a deeper level. Not only will you be able to find the root of your problems, but you’ll also understand what makes you happy. If you get stuck, move on to the next question and leave it blank. You can always come back to it later. Don’t let one question stop you from progressing.

Choose your top 10 values.

Valuegraphics is a company with the world’s largest database of what people care about—the image above lists the 56 values that drive all of us. The top 10 in bold are values that are so universal that everyone across different cultures shares them. People want community, family, relationships, security, and belonging. This list helped Martin look within himself and think critically about his values. Because he feels he’s never allowed to exercise his creative and unique problem-solving at his job, Martin realizes he values “creativity and imagination.” Accounting can be very demanding, especially during tax season, which makes Martin value “balance” and “health/wellbeing” more than ever.

Journal Your Thoughts

Write your story here. It doesn’t have to be the Pixar Formula or any other method. Just write a basic summary so you can update it with the Pixar Formula in the next episode.

The next episode will go over HOW to Write an “About” That Tells Your Unique Attention-Grabbing Story using your personal brand, the Pixar Formula, and keywords.

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