Prompt #1: Take a moment to respond meaningfully to the “three questions” that are

discussed as key to vocational discernment, and provide any additional perspective that you
may feel is necessary. Don’t just settle for short, one sentence answers. Try to be very
specific, aiming for a couple of cohesive, well-written paragraphs in response to each of the
three questions. Also, write vividly and descriptively – paint a “picture” with your words here.
Your responses to these prompts shouldn’t read like a resume or take the form of “bullet
points” – use analogies / metaphors, engage and inspire us by “painting a picture” with your
words, and make some connections to the Father Himes videos.

The Three Questions:

What gives me joy? (What kinds of things am I doing when I’m most naturally
content and happy?)

It’s interesting to me that the concept of joy is being brought up. When I first read this
question I immediately thought of coffee date I had with an old friend who is a minister in his
church. We had spent the afternoon in a small coffee shop talking about life, happiness, and
even joy. Just before the coffee shop was closing, and as we were bringing our conversation to
a close, a young man who had been sitting at a table near us looked up hesitantly and said, “I
don’t mean to eaves drop, but we are in a small space and I couldn’t help but overhear your
conversation.” Very coincidentally, this young man had been on a long journey seeking to
understand what joy was. I don’t remember much of what he said, except for what he said
about joy versus happiness: “Happiness,” he said, “is fleeting. It changes from moment to
moment. Happiness depends on our circumstances and is something that is easily affected. Joy,
on the other hand,” he said, “is something that is unchanging; unmovable. It comes from a
source that is constant.” Though he dove more into this topic, and now I’m wishing I would
have taken notes, all I can remember is the distinction he made between joy and happiness
that one is everchanging and one is steadfast. In his conversation with us, he began to relate
joy to theology, but I couldn’t relate to that part of it. So, this reflection of what brings us joy
has been interesting and, perhaps, perfectly timed for me.

Michael Himes, incredibly similar to the coffee-shop-interjector, says that “Happiness

changes from moment to moment, day to day. Joy, on the other hand, is much deeper and
much more central, it comes from within, and it’s a genuine rightness of how one lives one’s
life” (Three key questions, 2014). So, I’ve spent the weekend thinking on what sources of joy
are present in my own life; those sources that over and over for me create the deeply
immovable source of joy, as if I do not even choose it for myself. What I’ve determined to be
sources of joy for me are: helping others, empowering others, organizing, and creating (writing,
crafting, building small things, painting, creating spaces, etc.). When I am doing these things, I
feel the most content, at peace, and the most myself.

What am I good at? (What are my strengths?)

In terms of what we are good at, Michael Himes mentions that the best reflection of this
aspect of ourselves might come from asking others because we might not recognize our own
talents (Three key questions, 2014). For me, what I’ve been told from others happens to
correlate with what I have sincerely found myself to be good at. Additionally, throughout my
coursework and just personal curiosity, personality assessments have also coordinated with
what myself and others have determined are my skills and strengths.

I am good at: teaching others in a way that is understandable to them, talking to

people, staying calm when things get stressful, organizing, and encouraging others.

What does the world need me to do? (What can I contribute?)

This question is offers a necessary perspective that I don’t think about often. Mr. Himes
mentions that too often do we only consider what we need to do to make ourselves happy in
our work and not what the world around us needs us to do (Three key questions, 2014). I’ve
spent a lot of time reflecting on what I can spend my life on career-wise in order to fulfill my
own happiness. This question requires me to think beyond myself and focus on the needs of
the community. Because, apparently, my joy and strengths come from helping others, then it is
necessary to consider the needs of others, especially within my community.

Though I reflect often on what the people in my workplace need from me, I can’t say
that I’ve ever considered what the community needs. What I can contribute to my community is
my skill for helping others.

Prompt #2: Consider this week’s reading, Managing Oneself, by Peter Drucker. While we do
not have the time in this course to conduct a thorough feedback analysis, we can consider
some of our key decisions thus far in our lives reflectively. Although, admittedly, this isn’t quite
as objective of a process, it is helpful in light of the qualitative self-assessment we’ll be doing
later in this class.
First, consider several decisions /goals you have made over the last few years –
ideally one or two that worked out well, and one or two that didn’t work out as well
as expected.

Briefly list those decisions / goals here:

Goals that I’ve had over the last couple of years that have worked out well:

-Promoting to a lower management position at work: I worked/developed to become a

shift supervisor at my work place. The promotion took place on Feb. 2ndm 2017.

-Continuing/finishing my education through ASU: I graduate in December!

-Lose weight/change my lifestyle: I’ve lost 27 pounds since January and have continued
to eat healthy and workout almost daily

A decision/goal that was a failure:

-Becoming an online health and wellness coach: it’s much more difficult and time
consuming than I thought it would be and does not produce equal results compared to
the amount of effort put in.

Now, reflect on the ramifications / results / successes / failures of these

decisions / goals, and respond to the following questions:

What results are you skilled at generating?

I am skilled at generating thorough, organized, and accurate results. If there is

something that needs to be done, I will do it in an organized manner which will produce
thorough and accurate results. I am also skilled at generating results in a timely
manner. Because of being well organized I can achieve results quickly and within an
allotted time frame.

What abilities do you need to enhance in order to get the results you want?

In order to enhance my results I need the general parameters of how to get

from point A to point B. The rest I can fill in on my own. I need to be proactive,
dedicated, and driven. Often times procrastination prevents me from getting started, but
once I do there is no stopping me.

There is a concept that has been helpful to me called the “five second rule” by
Mel Robbins. You count down from five and after you reach “1” you immediately get up
 and get started on whatever task you were procrastinating on. This helps prevent
procrastination.

What unproductive habits are preventing you from creating the results you
desire?

The unproductive habits that are keeping me from achieving my goals are
procrastination, and distraction. Becoming easily distracted is not complicated in our
modern world. There are so many things to distract us from doing what needs to be
done. In order to achieve my goals, I have had to focus, persist, and be consistent.
When I utilize these skills/traits, I have no problem achieving thorough, organized and
accurate results.

Prompt #3: Now consider the following questions also posed in the Drucker article. Give each
one some thought, and provide a brief response to each.

Am I a reader or a listener?

I am a reader and a writer. I both understand and convey messages better

through the written format. When I have to listen to a conversation, say for example it
is a feedback-type conversation, I do better to ingest the information, think it over, and
revisit it the next day. It’s almost as if my brain needs the preparation in order to
prepare a response.

How do I learn? Make some connections to OGL 498 Pro-Seminar I (Assignment #1 -

Plus / Delta – Significant Learning Experiences – Structure and Transfer)

Though I can take information in from reading and listening, I truly learn the
information by writing it down. Writing papers and discussion boards, for example, and
having to describe the reading material really helps solidify the information. Reading the
material and then directly taking a quiz or exam on it is not productive for me.
Organizing the information for myself helps my brain to better understand and commit
the information to memory. It also gives my brain a chance to reflect and think critically.

Do I work well with people (and in what relationship), or am I a loner?

I can work well both alone and with others. The benefit to working with others is
different perspectives and approaches. Being able to split the work on a large project is
also helpful, however because I like things orderly and organized it can sometimes be
difficult to work with others who function through chaos and stress.

When it is a small project, I like to work alone. I often times don’t want help
because I don’t want to explain the process or spend the time arguing about which
process or approach is correct.

Do I produce results as a decision maker or as an advisor?

I think there are times that I function as both a decision maker and an advisor.
Often times I have no problem making a decision if I am the only leader around to make
the decision. However, when another leader is around and I am unsure of a decision, I
will seek advice and then make a decision. For the most part, when I understand the
standards and parameters, I have no problem being direct and affirmative in decision
making. When I am unsure of the goals or standards, I am more likely to seek advice.

Do I perform well under stress, or do I need a highly structured and predictable

environment?

I work best in organized and structured environments. While I don’t particularly

need predictability, I do need structure and organization.

Do I work best in a big organization or a small one?

Currently I work for a very large organization. I have worked for large
organizations before where I felt lost in the crowd as an employee. Fortunately, even
though I work for a large corporation, our store feels like a smaller company. We work
closely together, impact one another, coach and complement one another, and can be
like a family or tight knit group of friends. Starbucks makes each partner feel as if they
are contributing to something bigger, and because of this I don’t feel like I work for a
huge corporation. Our district is also in close contact with our district manager and are
familiar with our regional manager as well. This brings familiarity to being part of a
larger company. The higher-ups aren’t so far away. Though we have to meet corporate
goals, I don’t feel like our mission and values are lost in the shuffle.

I have worked for both large and small organizations and think I can do well in
both depending on how the company feels. Because Starbucks does not make their
 baristas feel isolated from the corporate part of the company, it feels like a smaller,
closer knit organization even though it is gigantic. I don’t think I would do well working
for a large company where I felt like just another number.

Set-up for Identity Exercise Prompt (Prompt #4):

First, carefully read the instructions for the Identities Exercise (page 22 of your textbook), and
follow those instructions. Remember to be specific and detailed in your responses – at least as
detailed as the example given. Included at the bottom of this document is a template / table
to help you organize your thoughts. Feel free to use it or to create your own. Note: While
this template suggests some specific roles / categories, you may have more than one role in
many of these areas (such as two different jobs, with two very different influences on your
identity). Be sure to define (and separate out) each role as applicable to you.

Prompt #4: For this prompt, complete (and include) the identities exercise / table, and then
answer the following questions.

Table Template:

Areas of identity / Life How does this role define
role your self-concept or
I am a… views?
Shift Supervisor -View myself as a leader
-Makes me feel trustworthy by
my manager and my peers
How does this role
influence your priorities
and your actions?
-Because I see myself as a
leader, I am continuously
working to improve my
leadership skills

-Makes me feel responsible to -Causes me to take on more

be an example in the responsibility in my
workplace workplace

-Makes me feel capable -Requires me to step up as a

leader
-Gives me a sense of pride
-To be an example to my co-
workers, I have to follow the
rules more carefully and be
knowledgeable in my role

Wife -My self-concept is no longer -Impacts my schedule: meal

just about me, but includes
my husband as well
-Gives me a sense of pride
because of who he is as a
planning, grocery shopping,
spending quality time
together
-Holds me accountable for
 person
-I am not defined only by
myself, but by my marriage
and my husband as well; we
are seen as a unit.
Home-Owner -Immense amount of pride
-Makes me feel like a
responsible adult
-Makes me feel like I can
relate to others
Auntie -Helps me to be able to relate
to people with children
-My niece and nephews are a
part of me that just live in a
different state
-Makes me feel responsible to
be a part of their lives
Student -Makes me feel that I’m
achieving something
important
-Causes me to feel more busy
-Causes me to feel “academic”
-Contributes to my self-
concept of intelligence
Fitness and Nutrition -Makes me feel like I am a
Enthusiast healthy person
emotional development, and
lifestyle choices
-I have to think about my
husband before making
certain choices (like spending
within the budget)
-When it comes to making
decisions, my husband
comes before many, many
things
-Allows me to host more
social events
-Must prioritize home
necessities over other
expenses
-Impacts our budget and
spending plan
-Sometimes dictates what I
do with my free time
-Impacts my travel choices.
Often when I travel it’s to go
see them.
-They are my next highest
priority outside of the
immediate ones (like my
husband, our home, etc.)
-Dictates how I spend my
free time
-Forces me to manage my
time better
-Impacts my development in
the workplace
-School work comes before
other activities
-Eating healthy impacts my
daily food choices and makes
me more conscious of what I
 -Gives me a sense of pride
when I make healthy choices
-Defines my views on health
eat and drink
-Eating healthy causes me to
have to meal prep, which
takes time and planning

-Working out is a priority

 How do your various roles influence how you see yourself?

My roles in life are important to how I view myself. I use my skills in each of my
roles, so my self-concept and my abilities are very intertwined (as I’m sure a lot of
people’s are). Because of this, my roles can make me feel empowered and also dejected
at times. When I feel I am not successful in a role, I may sometimes feel disappointed in
myself. But when I am successful, I feel good about myself. I am currently working on
finding a balance between my roles defining me and my innate self-concept.

 How do your various roles influence how you see the world?

Being a wife and a home-owner puts me in with a different crowd of people. I

work with a lot of 18-24 year old’s who are not “in the same boat” or stage of life as I
am. These parts of my identity impact my priorities, which in turn impact the way I
view the world. I also focus on different aspects of life because of the roles that define
my self-concept.

Each role that helps define my self-concept is a piece of the puzzle that creates
my world view. Being a white, middle-class, female impacts my world view in addition to
all the other roles that influence my life.

 How do you currently prioritize your roles? Which roles are most (and least)
attended to? Are you happy with this prioritization? What changes would you
like to make?

My most important roles right now are being a wife, being a leader in my
workplace, and being a student. These are the most defining roles of my life right now;
they consume the most space in my life. Everything else comes after these roles.
 My least attended to role is being a daughter. I don’t take as much time out of
my day to be a daughter as I should be. I am in contact with my Mom quite often, but I
feel like I could call her more. I do feel a bit guilty about this.
For the most part I am happy about the prioritization of my roles in my life. Once I’m
finished with school I will be able to focus more on being a homeowner and taking care
of my home/remodeling it in places that still need help (like the back yard).

 How do you see your roles changing in the future – and how will that affect
your identity?

Once I am not longer a student, this will open the door for me to spend more
time on m hobbies. I don’t know if I will look for a new job right away or not, so that
could cause a shift in my job role. Being a health and fitness enthusiast will not be going
away any time soon, but I believe I will be able to put more time and energy into this
passion once I graduate.