My own roadmap

Are you thinking about learning new things, developing other skills but don’t know where to start? Let me tell you more about my road. Maybe I can inspire you.

Put first things first

A few years ago I was reviewing my life, work, hobby’s, connections, everything important in daily life. (Don’t blame me but I am quite structured so this is something I do regularly). With a good budget for education from my employer I was able to do a course around How to be an entrepreneur in the company where you are working. Of course when you are over 60 there is a lot you know already about yourself but it was good to make some lists (love them or hate them) about values, goals, talents, ambitions, actions and thoughts.

Around that time a new book appeared “Volgens Proust” This book contains 61 questions to get to know yourself. (Find a List with 35 questions over here and More about Proust here. I took a few days off and answered each day 6 questions. In combination with the course, I mentioned before, I knew I had to develop new skills.

Be open to the amazing changes which are occurring in the field that interests you. Leigh Steinberg

Starting with courses

I wanted to base these new skills on interests and hopefully talents. Keywords I used for myself: social media, writing, able to work place and time independent with intermediate hours (due to some physical changes), connect to my interests and/or or experience: marketing, interior design, travel, gardening  in the broadcast/media Industry.

So the next course was about online marketing. I learned about landing pages, affiliate marketing, mobile marketing, search engine optimisation. In 2007 when I started my first website, you needed experts for this but in the last few years it came within reach for people like me.

In 2019 the magazine Elle Decoration gave me a new push. In Cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Fontys they offered a course Journalism for Interior and Design.

It was meant to be!

Here came everything I was thinking of and working on together. On the headquarters of Elle in Amsterdam we learned about Writing, Interview techniques, Trend watching, Making a trend palette, Photography and Styling Skills. Quite a lot to handle but so inspiring.

A new start

I realised that my “hobby website” that was already a few years on hold was up to a new start. It was outdated, so I started in my free time to work on a new format. A new template from Envato and a template for social media from Creative market is helping me now to update my online activities.

Continuing story

So again I did a course, because Pinterest generates a lot of traffic I did a Pin Design Masterclass from the Random Passion Project. It took me some time and I did it step by step but now it is a great reference source if I am making a pin. Something else I am working on are the skills for Photoshop. They have a range of tutorials ranging from 3 till 30 minutes and are very helpful Adobe Photoshop tutorials.  and as a result, I took a next step by buying presets to make it easier to fix the light and colors of the pictures.

Next to this I am working on a Business plan. I use Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle about the Why, How and What of your company, I use the marketing tool SIVA (Solution, Information, Value and Access) developed by Dev and Schultz for a more customer oriented approach and of course a financial and action part. I will tell you more about it in a next post about business plans.

After leaving my job I am trying to find work in the online marketing area. It is a pity that Covid-19 runs parallel to my searching road (or maybe a blessing in disguise) because now I can spend more time on this platform, and maybe evaluate it into a job instead of a hobby.

Hope to inspire you and of course I’ll keep you posted on this blog.

To make it more general, find below the 6 steps to Discovering new talents:

Be open minded

Start to make an inventory of your wishes, talents and experiences. Use a questionnaire, talk with family, friends and colleagues. Don’t exclude anything because of assumptions from the past.

Write it down

Use your laptop or a beautiful notebook, make chapters. If you don’t know it yet, no problem, make it a fill-in-the-blank exercise. If you don’t like writing, draw a mind map. But do set a timeline. If it is 4 weeks or 3 months but set a timeline to push yourself to take next steps.

Make a plan

I like to make a plan but I always think that the road is more important than the final goal. Do yo want to learn something for your current job or business, for your hobby or any other part of your life? Ask the questions and be honest.

Think of books you want to read, courses you want to take, equipment you want to buy, network conversations you need to have. For a new business the chamber of commerce provides a test for your entrepreneurial skills. Or have a look at the Forbes list with skills.

If you think of starting your own business read my blog: How to start your own business, when older. 

Check the financial part

Important if you want to change jobs or start a new business. You can find excel templates for liquidity, accounting, investing etcetera on the internet and many banks provide the tools. If you need to invest, think about new ways like crowdfunding.

Find a sparring partner(s)

Talk to friends and explain your thoughts about what you want to do. In this phase try to avoid the pessimists but find the people who encourage you. However you will encounter objections. Don’t hesitate just take the next step.

Take a step to a new phase

In conclusion: If you decide to make a next step, write your business plan or personal plan. This is the start of your roadmap to using the NEW TALENTS YOU DISCOVERED.

Tips

More information about starting your own company when older: here