I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the theme of last week’s blog post, which was the importance of being open to new experiences as means of letting inspiration into your life.

I tried to follow one of my own suggestions from the post (I have to practice what I preach!), which was to regularly keep a journal, even if it was just a couple of sentences each day. Doing this reminded me of how much I actually enjoy personal writing, and how I haven’t done enough of it in recent years. As a result, I’ve signed up for a writing workshop in Toronto later this month – let’s see if being open can finally get me over my writer’s block! I’d really love a lightning bolt of inspiration right about now, but something tells me that’s not going to happen without some effort on my part…

I read an article this week from thoughtcatalog.com called “The Difference Between Doing What You Love and Loving What You Do” by Brianna Wiest, which really struck a chord with me. The author argues that striving to make a career out of your passion might not necessarily be the most rewarding or realistic endeavor. She asserts that there is a finite difference between “doing what you love” and “loving what you do”, but that following one or the other doesn’t have to affect your happiness and life satisfaction.

On the one hand, doing what you love could mean following that dream that you’ve had since you were young, and turning it into a money-making career (easier said than done).  “But,” writes Wiest, “loving what you do involves taking something else — plucking from the proverbial sea of somethings that you already enjoy doing — working hard on it, creating a professional pathway, seeing it to a lucrative end and being happy because your love for it grows. This is the kind of career that will grow with you.”

What Wiest is getting at here is openness. Not everybody has a passion, necessarily, but everyone has activities that they enjoy doing to different degrees. It doesn’t have to be a huge, overarching passion; it can be something small. A mini-passion. Do you like to bake when you’re stressed out? Enjoy taking photos when you have the time? Or do you have fun designing websites for friends now and then?

What about taking those little activities you like, and being open to exploring them further? Maybe you never thought of them as a viable career option, but just see where they take you. It’s time to stop thinking, “if only I could do X, I would be happy”. It’s time to start finding positives in what you’re already doing, and building from there. You might be surprised where things take you. What do you think?

Where to Start:

 Successful Gap Years &the mygapyear Advantage

Hello future gappers and interested readers.  Hope you found our series on myths about gap years helpful.  I believe there is something about our transition from spring into summer that causes us to think differently about our lives.  We spring clean our houses, wardrobes and for some our lives! With all the new growth around us - leaves on trees and the sprouting bounty of our vegetable gardens.  For many this is a time of transition as well - out of high school, away from college or university or the end of university. This is a great time for you - who are in one of those life phases or the young adult in your life to explore an opportunity to take a gap year, short or long, to 'spring clean' their life in 2012.

How do I plan a gap year?

1. Create a personal vision/goal ex. figure out my career direction; build self-confidence and independence; learn French
2. Write down manageable steps to support your vision/goal ex. use a calendar;
3. Create a budget for your gap year; think about things you love to do
4. Research related programs and experiences that relate to your vision/goals ex. volunteer to work with children overseas; learn French in France
5. Share your ideas and surround yourself with people who will encourage and support you to keep this vision alive
6. Reflect on your self-learning and what direction you want to take as a result of your experience ex. a different academic program; a different perspective 

Feeling overwhelmed? Not sure were to start?  That is where mygapyear can help.  We have a team of experts who are eager to help you discover your passions, goals and dreams.

The mygapyear Advantage 

Our unique approach develops confident and empowered young adults ready for the opportunities that lie ahead. We partner with you to create a meaningful gap year through:

• Coaching, Emotional Intelligence Building and Leadership Development

• A researched and personalized gap year plan

• Ongoing support and encouragement throughout the experience

Interested in seeing how we can help make sense of a gap year for you or the young adult in your life?  Or do you know a school, community group or individual we should get in touch with?  Visit our website or encourage the individual in your life who could benefit from hearing about our work to message us.  We would be happy to chat with you about your goals, vision and questions about your gap year.  

The Millennials - Generation Me, Google Generation, Gen-Y, the Gap Year Generation (?)

We all know the Baby Boomers and Generation X, they have been around for a while and have been studied intensely.  Who are the new kids on the block?  They are the Millennials - born between 1977 and 1993(varies depending on your source), this is the generation that is making its way through high school, university and into the work force.

This new generation has been given a bad reputation already by those that preceded them.  They are perceived as self absorbed, entitled and unfocused (Espinoza et al., 2010).  These perceptions are made by people who, as a whole, have a different set of values than the Millennials.

As parents, educators and employers, we need to make ourselves aware of what the trends in values are in order to better support our youth.  Espinoza et al,  have identified 9 Intrinsic Values of the Millennial Generation but we will focus on 4 and how they relate to taking a gap year.

Work-Life Balance: More than previous generations, Millennials aren’t prepared to sacrifice their personal life for the sake of work.  They are prepared to be paid less in order to be able to do the things that they find most satisfying outside of the work place.  A gap year is an excellent way for youth to find the things that are most inspiring for them and expose them to a new set of activities that they can engage in to balance their work.

Attention:  Millennials can be seen as self-absorbed but it is actually the individual attention that they crave.  This generation was raised with a softer touch where most of their needs were preempted or quickly met by their parents and they have come to expect individualized attention.  This could be why the higher education system is not as appealing to many of this new generation - learning broad topics in large classrooms does not appeal to this value.  A gap year through mygapyear allows for individualized coaching and the creation of a plan that is specific to the goals of that individual.  This learning experience will appeal to the value of attention while encouraging learning and development.

Simplicity: Many of the Millennials have learned to be focused on the “small picture” and how they are personally affected.  This is a wonderful trait to have because Millennials are acutely aware of their personal state and how they manifest themselves.  Where a gap year could benefit this value is in teaching the Millennials how to see the “bigger picture” and help them relate their personal state or actions with the world around them.  Traveling can teach youth about stewardship, cooperation, diversity and how they fit into the global perspective.  Broadening their understanding of the world will help them integrate into the demanding world of globalization.

Meaning: In general, the Millennials need to feel that they have a purpose, that their contribution is valuable and going to be contributing to something great.  Taking a gap year exposes Millennials to a wide variety of experiences.  Youth my find new passions, be fulfilled by working towards an existing passion or discover ways of combining their passions with work.  There are so many jobs out there that we don’t know exist unless we actively search for them - we are not confined to being a teacher, firefighter or banker anymore (although these are equally valuable jobs!).

Reference:

Espinoza, C, Ukleja, M. & Rusch, C. (2010). Managing the Millennials: Discover the core competencies for managing today's youth. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.