Like many, you may have just finished shopping, wrapping, and giving a few gifts to others. As the year winds down over the next few days, there is now an opportunity to start that process over again with the result potentially being a gift to yourself for the coming year. You may have at one time wished you could start a business or simply do work that you truly care about. What a nice gift that would be to at least go through the steps of finding out if that were even possible for you.
The first step in any gift giving process is to consider what the person you are giving it to might want. This "shopping" part is where you often put a lot of thought and go to a lot of effort to make sure what you choose is perfect. Why not turn that lens on yourself and really think about what you are passionate about? So many never pause to consider whether the things they enjoy or value most could be things they make a living doing. This is an easy, no obligation step where you are just shopping for something you might be interested in. Pair what you are drawn to with what you are good at and there may indeed be an opportunity you never previously considered. If you never take the time to think about what you want or never go shop to see if it is out there, then that potential gift to yourself can never be given.
So why not start by making a list? On one side write down those things that you are drawn to and have a real interest in. On the other side consider what types of things you are naturally good at or have developed real skills in doing. Once the list is made then you can begin doing some "shopping" to see if what you want is out there. This is an easy thing that so many simply never take the time to do, but doesn't giving the perfect gift start with giving yourself the time to consider what makes it perfect? The same thinking can and should be applied to what you do with yourself. You may end up being quite surprised at how nice a gift this discovery process can really be. Even if you don't immediately "buy", the real gift may be that you at least know what you are looking for.
