As you are trying to figure out how to make your transition into self-employment you inevitably will get stuck.
I’m digging back into my podcast archives to share with you a fun and unique exercise to help you visualize your career goals.
It’s called sketchingnoting. I like to think of it as doodling with intention and without judgment.
Doug Neill has made a business out of sketch noting. In graduate school, he rediscovered his childhood passion for drawing. He was a math and science teacher, but sketch noting helped him realize the traditional teaching path wasn’t for him.
You can check out some of his work at The Graphic Recorder or Verbal to Visual.
There are several great lessons packed into our conversation including:
- Why Doug has been aware of his need to go through a transition every couple of years.
- How he first started getting paid for his sketch noting work by being hired for freelance projects.
- How a TED talk inspired him to take action by immediately buying a domain name and starting a website.
Life Skills That Matter In This Episode
- Self-directed learning.
- Self-awareness.
- Aligning your habits with your purpose.
How Doug Works and Thinks
- Superpower: Recognizing times when he needs to make transitions.
- Self-reflection practice: Paying attention to the alignment factor to remain on track with your goals.
- Regains focus by: Applying some constraints to what he’s working on.
- 90-day goal: Continue to build teaching resources through Verbal to Visual, The Graphic Recorder, and A Trail of Life.
Inspirational Quotes
“More people are starting to see the benefits of doodling and sketching out ideas.”
“Sketch noting are hand-sketched notes that include words that provide a visual summary of a piece of information.”
“Looking at visuals activates a different part of your brain, so you can take in information much more quickly.”
“The goal of sketch noting isn’t about making your ideas aesthetically pleasing, it’s about getting your ideas down on paper.”
“There is freedom when you apply constraints.”
Coaching Advice
Doug advises setting aside 10 minutes in the morning to sketch out what is on your mind and suggests these steps to get started:
1. Buy a sketch notebook or gather up a bunch of scrap paper you have around your house.
2. Keep your sketch paper and a pen or pencil in place you will feel most comfortable drawing each morning.
3. Make sketching your thoughts a part of your morning ritual. You might even make drawing the very first thing you do every day.
4. Try this experiment for at least a week to see how it makes you feel. Who knows, you might even learn something new about yourself.
Resources + Bonus Materials
CBS Sunday Morning: The Higher Purpose of Doodling
The Doodle Revolution by Sunni Brown
Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam
The Sketch Note Handbook by Mike Rhode
Google Image Search for Sketch Notes
War of Art by Stephen Pressfield