avocado8

Career Self-Counseling

Do you ever have those moments when you think, "god, I suck! I can't do anything well!"? Well, I had one on Monday. And the bucket of cold water I threw on myself to snap out of it was to think, "that's not true. I'm good at...." Here's the list I came up with:

• Writing JavaScript extensions to Dreamweaver
• Writing API documentation
• Making shy, introverted, or outcast adults and children feel welcome and included
• Communicating technical concepts to a lay audience
• Learning something one day and then teaching it the next
• Baking
• Facilitating group discussion
• Summarizing a book in 50 words or fewer
• Finding the flaw in any plan
• Writing letters (informative, persuasive, or angry)
• Photographing sports and social events
• Cutting, bleaching, and coloring my own hair
• Selling products or ideas I really believe in
• Refactoring JavaScript
• Acting as a bridge between technical and non-technical people
• Managing a household
• Defending a friend or family member
• Tracking down, documenting, developing tescases for, and finding workarounds for CSS browser bugs
• Remembering how to get places I've been before
• Making my way in a new city

I'm going to keep adding to my list over time, as I think of other things I'm good at. It'll serve as a reminder that I don't suck (or at least not completely) when I'm feeling low, and I think it'll also help me figure out what I really want to do. It'd probably also help, career counseling-wise, to make a list of the things I *do* suck at, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Soon, soon.