## Introduction Entrepreneurial and innovation skills are versatile and can be applied to any career path. To harness these skills effectively, it's important to consider two key questions: What do you truly want to achieve in life, and who can you assist to reach those goals? By focusing on these questions, you can align your aspirations with the impact you wish to have on others. ![[Pilot your purpose.png|400]] [[personal interests|Interests]], [[skills]], [[passion]], [[purpose]], and [[impact]] are interconnected elements that play a crucial role in personal and professional development. [[personal interests|Interests]] are the activities or subjects that naturally draw our attention and curiosity, while [[skills]] are the abilities we develop through practice and experience. [[passion|Passion]] is the intense enthusiasm or excitement we feel towards certain pursuits, often driving us to invest time and energy into them. [[purpose|Purpose]] provides a sense of direction and meaning, guiding our actions toward achieving specific goals. When these elements align, they can lead to a significant [[impact]], allowing us to contribute positively to our communities and the world. By understanding and integrating these aspects, individuals can create a fulfilling and impactful life. Acquiring innovation and entrepreneurship skills can be challenging and requires motivation. The most effective way to motivate yourself is by aligning the learning process with your personal purpose, passions, interests, and existing skills. However, these elements aren't always immediately clear. The following exercise is available on the [Teaching Entrepreneurship blog](https://www.teachingentrepreneurship.org). It was designed to help you clarify your personal purpose, passions, interests, and existing skills. ## Google Slides document If you have a Google account you can copy the following Google Slides document that guides you through this exercise: [TeachingEntrepreneurship.org's Pilot your purpose v2](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OmOTX6UzktYoypaD4nNLMDAJxW86GIoYloLYyRBtFTA/copy) ## Interests - Ask your friends A great way to identify your interests is by asking your friends and family what topics you frequently discuss. Start by making a list of what you believe your interests are, such as music, reading, surfing, cooking, video games, etc. Then, send a message to your friends and family saying: "For my homework, I'm supposed to ask you: 'What kind of stuff do I always talk about?'" In Portuguese: "Tenho um trabalho de casa para qual preciso perguntar-te: 'De que tipo de coisas estou sempre a falar?'" Summarize the responses in the box labeled "My friends say I always talk about creating, building, or doing..." ## Interests - If you were rich Another way to brainstorm your interests is to consider what you would do if you were wealthy. How would you spend your time? Traveling? Making music? Going to space? Volunteering at an animal shelter? Write the responses in the box labeled "If I never had to worry about money. I'd spend my time creating, building, or doing..." ## Interests - Your free time To identify your interests, consider how you currently spend your free time. What you do online during spare moments can be a strong indicator of your interests. Are there any patterns in your YouTube watch history, the people you follow on social media, or the posts you read? Write the responses in the box labeled "I like to spend my time online learning about..." ![[Pilot your purpose interests friends.png|200]]![[Pilot your purpose interests rich.png|200]]![[Pilot your purpose interests freetime.png|200]] ## Skills - Ask your friends Your friends and family can also help you to figure out what you are good at. What would your friends say you are good at? Making music? Fixing things? Cooking? Coding? Text your friends or family: "I'm also supposed to ask you what you think I'm good at." in Portuguese: "Também devo perguntar-te em que achas que eu sou bom." Summarize the responses in the box labeled "My friends say I'm good at..." ## Skills - Getting better Another way to brainstorm your skills is to consider what you want to improve. For instance, you might want to become more creative, play an instrument better, or take better photos, among other things. Write the responses in the box labeled "I'm interested in getting better at..." ## Skills - Above average Another way to identify your skills is to consider what you excel at compared to others. For instance, you might be particularly good at interior design, programming, cooking, electronics, etc. Write the responses in the box labeled "I'm above average at..." ![[Pilot your purpose skills friends.png|200]]![[Pilot your purpose skills better.png|200]]![[Pilot your purpose above average.png|200]] ## Passion To identify your passion look at your interests and select the ones that excite you. Do the same for your skills and think of ways to combine the two. For example, if you are fascinated by environmental conservation and have engineering skills, you might discover a passion for developing sustainable technologies or products. You can also use ChatGPT or another LLM to help you by using this prompt: “Ask me for a list of my interests. Next, ask me for a list of skills I currently have or would like to develop. Then use those lists to help me discover 5 - 8 potential passions.“ If you prefer Portuguese: "Pede-me uma lista dos meus interesses. Depois, pede-me uma lista de competências que atualmente tenho ou gostaria de desenvolver. Em seguida, usa essas listas para me ajudar a descobrir 5 - 8 potenciais paixões." ![[Pilot your purpose passion.png]] ## Impact You can make an impact by helping people or solving problems. Identify whom you want to help and the local or global issues you want to address. ![[Pilot your purpose impact.png]] ## Purpose Revisit your list of passions and identify the ones that truly stand out. Then, review the table with the list of potential impacts you can make and select those that are most relevant to you. Consider ways to combine your chosen passions and impacts to craft a clear statement of your purpose. For instance, if education and storytelling are your passions and you aim to impact the empowerment of underprivileged youth, your purpose statement could be: "My purpose is to empower underprivileged youth by creating engaging educational content that inspires them and equips them with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed." Another example is having a passion for technology and innovation with an impact on improving healthcare accessibility. Your purpose statement could be: "My purpose is to enhance healthcare accessibility by leveraging innovative technologies to develop solutions that bridge the gap between medical services and underserved populations." You can get help by an LLM by using this prompt: “Ask me for a list of my passions. Next, ask me for a list of the kinds of impacts I would like to make. Then use those lists to help me discover 3 - 5 potential personal purpose statements.“ If you prefer to use Portuguese: "Pede-me uma lista das minhas paixões. Em seguida, pede-me uma lista dos tipos de impactos que gostaria de fazer. Depois, usa essas listas para me ajudar a descobrir 3 - 5 potenciais declarações de propósito pessoal." ## References - [Improved: Pilot Your Purpose v2 - Teaching Entrepreneurship](https://www.teachingentrepreneurship.org/pilot-your-purpose-v2/) Next: [[Write your failure resume]] Back to [[Developing an Innovation Mindset]]