Get WEIRD to Plan Your Career: Educate on Solutions (Part 2 of 5)

This is part two in a five-part series about authentic career planning. Check out part one if you missed it!

In part one, we discussed uncovering hidden blockers that might be preventing you from moving forward with your desired changes. We also discussed forgiving ourselves for barriers that aren’t our fault and taking time to process emotions that arise as a result of uncovering unfair challenges.

Now, in part two, we’ll discuss one technique you can use to help move your plan forward.

The second step in the WEIRD Process is Educate on Solutions. During this phase, we explore and research various options and paths we can pursue in an actionable way toward achieving our goals. We then run small tests on some of these in the third step, Ideate and Implement.

While we won’t be able to explore the research and exploration process in detail in this article, it’s important to know that contemplating actionable change takes a lot of energy. Humans are inert creatures (and many autistic and otherwise neurodivergent folks are even more likely to struggle with starting, stopping or changing tasks), and even our current circumstances aren’t great for us, familiarity is more comfortable than doing something new and we resist it. So, it will take a massive amount of energy to consider actually taking action toward moving toward your goals. That’s why we’re going to discuss a helpful technique for finding spare energy.

Where your energy is hiding

What? you think. But I’m always tired! I don’t have any energy to spare!

I believe you! If you’re living with fatigue from chronic illness, are overscheduled, or need to work multiple jobs to afford your bills, it can feel discouraging and overwhelming to contemplate where any “spare” energy can possibly come from. I can’t guarantee that you’ll find abundant spare energy by doing this exercise, but you will have a better sense of what’s charging and draining you. And, hopefully, you’ll feel a little more empowered to take charge of your life instead of letting your life drain you.

The exercise is called, for lack of a better name, the Energy and Obligation Matrix.

It’s a grid with four boxes where one axis represents whether something is draining or energizing, and the other axis represents whether you have to do it or not. We will plot this matrix two separate times. Here’s an example of what the Energy and Obligation Matrix looks like.

An example of the Energy and Obligation Matrix, with Energy on the X-axis and Obligation on the Y-axis. The four boxes, going clockwise from top left to bottom left, are draining, required; energizing, required; energizing, optional; and draining, optional.

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You can create the matrix for yourself on a piece of paper or digitally, whichever you prefer. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of empty space within each box to write and take notes. You’ll complete the matrix twice, so it’s ideal to have two blank matrices to work with.

The first matrix you’ll complete has to do with the activities you spend your time, energy and attention on. Write the name of the activity along with data such as how many hours per week it takes, what percentage (estimated) of your energy it feels like that activity takes up or gives back, and/or how it makes you feel beyond the binary of energized vs. drained - for example, if you find a deeper meaning or a set of complex emotions behind the activity, you can take some time to think and/or journal about that.

Next, fill out the second matrix with the people in your life. Who are your biggest supporters who energize you vs. the energy vampires who drain you? Do you have to spend time with them and if so, how much?

If you’re stuck on how to decide who and what go where within the matrix, check out these tips on how to discern and decide.

Thinking about obligation

We are going to think about obligation in clearly defined terms. This will help us set boundaries around our energy.

For the purposes of the matrix, you have to do something or have to be in community with someone if:

1. The activity is tied to your survival (caring for self or others in your charge, maintaining your wellbeing, earning a living, etc.)
2. You are responsible for the person’s care (yourself, partner, and/or any family members, friends or pets you care for directly) or the person is associated with a required activity (boss, coworkers)

You may find that there are some activities and people who end up in the “draining, required” box, such as a boss or colleague who is unkind at a toxic job you need to keep until you find something else. While it can be discouraging to account for the energy drain that these parts of life amount to, we’re neither helpless nor hopeless. Are there people and/or activities in the “energizing, optional” box that you could be spending more time with to balance out the unavoidable energy drain?

Do our leisure activities really energize us?

Another aim of this exercise is to discover whether or not the ways we’re attempting to restore ourselves during our leisure time are actually restorative. Is arguing with a stranger on the internet as life-giving as a phone call with a good friend, or does it in fact deplete our energy? Where would internet strangers fall on your people matrix, and the activity of scrolling and commenting on social media fall on your activity matrix?

One of the most important parts of the Educate on Solutions step is to find supportive community as you move in the direction of your dreams, because, inevitably, there will be bad days, and there’s usually no one better at talking you out of your own dreams on one bad day than yourself. But, the good news is, a good friend is usually pretty great at encouraging you to keep going. Who do you have in your corner who can help you keep going? Even if they aren’t someone you can connect with directly about your specific goals, someone who cares about you, knows you for who you truly are, and believes in you can go a very long way.

For some additional help discerning how to restore yourself in a variety of ways, check out Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s TED talk, “The real reason why we are tired and what to do about it.” Dr. Dalton-Smith explains the seven different forms of rest. Are you getting all seven? If there are certain energizing activities that you’ve been putting off for a while because they’ve felt unimportant, such as creative activities, let this talk remind you that everything that brings you joy is indeed important, because rest is important!

The ultimate objective

What we ultimately want to achieve with the Energy and Obligation Matrix is balance. While there will inevitably be draining things and people in our lives we can’t avoid, we can be intentional about balancing it out with things that support our goals.

In part three, we’ll discuss how to start making actionable progress toward the life you really want. Until then, happy energy hunting!

About Cee Reel

Cee Reel is a design generalist and authenticity coach who helps both brands and leaders tell their stories in a genuine and playful way. In a business world where authenticity and genuine human connection are rare elements, Cee helps creatives, multipotentialites and anyone who feels too weird for the traditional workplace learn to recognize and value themselves as pure gold. Subscribe to Cee’s newsletter to learn more about how to connect with your authenticity.

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