I was scrolling through Facebook (you are going to thank me!) and a video popped up with a woman who said she had these 3 questions she likes to ask people when she first meets them.
I was inspired so I swiped that idea and turned it into a fun exercise that I thought could be both fun and also reveal some truths about your career and dreams.
My Favorite Things: The Game That Reveals Insights
The rules of the game:
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Don’t overthink your answers. Go with your first instinct. Though you may come up with more than one answer, just pick one and keep going.
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For EACH answer, write down THREE reasons why you chose it. Go deep on this.
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No Googling, polling your friends, or trying to find the “right” answer! The fact is your first answers are the right answers. They come from your instincts.
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Most importantly, don’t skip ahead to the reveal. That’s where the fun happens!
The Wild Card
1. What is your favorite animal and 3 reasons why?
2. What is your favorite color and 3 reasons why?
Somewhere Wonderful
3. What is your favorite place in nature and 3 reasons why?
4. What is your favorite time of day and 3 reasons why?
Pure Delight
5. What is your favorite thing to do when you have a completely free day and 3 reasons why?
6. What is your favorite season and 3 reasons why?
The Road Less Traveled
7. What is your favorite mode of transportation and 3 reasons why?
8. If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go and 3 reasons why?
Growing Something Beautiful
9. What is your favorite type of building or structure and 3 reasons why?
10. What is your favorite fictional character and 3 reasons why?
Now for the Alchemy! ✨
Ready to discover what your answers might reveal?
Go back through your answers and cross out the original question. Replace it with the interpretation below.
Example: Replace “What is your favorite animal” with My natural gifts are … Your 3 reasons why your animal is your favorite animal are now your 3 natural gifts and strengths.
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Replace Your favorite animal with My natural strengths and gifts are …
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Replace Your favorite color with My personality is ….
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Replace Your favorite place in nature with The environment in which I thrive is …
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Replace Your favorite time of day with My natural energy and rhythms are …
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Replace Your favorite free-day activity with I feel most joyful and fulfilled when I am …
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Replace Your favorite season with I am nourished by …
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Replace Your favorite mode of transportation with This is how I want to navigate my career …
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Replace your favorite vacation destination with My definition of a successful career involves …
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Replace Your favorite building or structure with The legacy I want to create involves being …
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Replace Your favorite fictional character with I am …
Now reread what you wrote for each answer through its new lens.
What do you notice?
I noticed that not everything made sense immediately but with slight tweaking felt true to me.
For example, the first question was “What is my favorite animal?” I actually said human because we can connect with each other, share experiences and build memories together and support each other.
When I replace My Favorite Animal with My natural gifts and strengths, I modified a bit and came up with what I think is very true. I am supportive, a connector and love to create experience and memories with and for others.
This felt so validating because it felt like truth.
Your Career Alchemist Discovery
Take a few minutes to reflect:
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What did you discover about yourself?
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Which answers surprised you?
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What themes or patterns appeared more than once?
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What might be missing from your current career?
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What would you like to invite more of into your next chapter?
We spend so much time looking outside that we miss the wisdom that we already have inside of us just waiting to get teased out.
I’d love to hear from you! Which of the 10 questions surprised you the most? Hit reply or DM me and let me know. I’m curious about what you discovered!