what don’t you like?

In the course of your daily conversations with teachers, parents and other adults, has anyone asked you: what don’t you like doing? I bet you make a lot of effort to do the things you enjoy - sport, eating out, movies, drawing, dancing, travelling, reading. You probably also make a concerted effort to avoid the things you don’t like doing: going to family events, homework, housework, exercise!

If you spend a moment thinking about the things you don’t like, what might it reveal about the type of person you are? I don’t mean you should judge yourself for what you don’t like doing. I mean, is there a pattern of things you don’t like doing? Do you tend to avoid situations where there are crowds of people? Do you reject going places unless there is a clear plan of action about what to do when you get there? Do you say no to spending endless hours in nature? Does the thought of sitting in your room and drawing while listening to music make you want to scream?

Take a moment to write down the types of activities you would definitely say no to. They might be things you have already refused to do or situations you would never agree to. Then take a moment to think about why you would not enjoy/complete/participate in that activity. IGNORE that voice in your head that is telling you to try everyone once - that’s not a life rule, not a hack, not a thing. Rather, just see if you can identify some little unique parts of yourself, some hint as to what makes you tick. These unique parts are a clue to what you may wish to do in life - what career pathway you might like to take. The more you know about yourself, the better you can map your future.

Have fun.