1. Figuring out what to do from what you don’t want to do
I seamlessly loved art, social studies and languages which led me to an aspiration that I always want to be on the creative side of the world, and thus I picked the Arts & Humanities stream in Junior College and BA in Degree College. Although I loved what I studied in BA, I lacked the passion to make a career in it and decided to drop out. These instances led me to making my core decision, eliminating any career prospects in the field of Science, Commerce and BA, by being more aware of what I do not want to do than what I wanted to do.
Quick Tip: A Pros and Cons list of the situation, subject or the object can help you evaluate better.
2. Spacing out, running trials and learning from errors
Through trial and error and taking up numerous internships, I concluded that what I thought was my calling actually did not leave me with a sense of accomplishment that I craved for, I hoped to contribute my best to the functioning of society, unfortunately, my first choice of fashion felt more of a personal expression to me than a vocation and mission.
Quick Tip: Internships are a quick way to learn and get a real sense of the work to figure out your fit. Contrary to the common belief you do not need to be a student to intern.
3. Expect the unexpected and take some time to process it
Leaving Mumbai and moving to Patna to study at the National institute of Fashion Technology was a hard decision I had to make but I cannot deny it was inevitably a blessing in disguise. Serendipitously, my core reason to move and study fashion no longer seemed like the right course of action for me but the field of design did. This revelation about my life did not just occur overnight, it took months of overthinking, self-deprecation, self-doubts and endless discussions with my mentors.
Quick Tip: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are” – Anaïs Nin
A little change in your perspective will open up more possibilities. – Ritika Shirke
4. Knowing what you are capable of by evaluating your skills
Moving miles away from home to study just got me closer to different kinds of cultures, people and experiences which in the long run became my USP. This was a turning point in my life that helped me gain soft skills and become more aware of the current social challenges. Within my course, I had the opportunity to not only explore fashion but also communication design. Fashion helped me broaden my outlook, express and conduct myself. It taught me to consciously evaluate the importance of culture and aesthetics among people. Communication Design armed me with a vision, mission and values while also strengthening my ability to visualise and represent.
Quick Tip: Quit being modest and stop underestimating your potential, if you think you rock at something own it and note it down in the strengths section while doing a SWOT analysis.
Being inspired by the Japanese concept Ikigai which refers to having a direction or purpose in life by providing a sense of fulfilment, I brainstormed my way towards finding my purpose and goal through a little analysis prescribed by the Japanese philosophy.
