Learn More About Good Work Guidance

Your best guide on the path to meaningful work is your own intuition. Of course you must first gain access to it! One goal of The Path to Meaningful Work home study program is to enhance your ability to tap into your intuition at will, so the choices you make will always be in alignment with your core values.

One quick way to reach your intuition is with an exercise of forced choices. Here you must choose between two often equally desirable options. If you make the choices quickly, one right after another without stopping to reflect, your rational mind will be unable to keep up and your intuition will move to the forefront to get the job done. This may sound like throwing a new swimmer into the pool, but there is no danger here. In fact, a forced-choice exercise is not only safe but enlightening. The point is, it doesn't matter which choice you make in the exercise. Either choice will stimulate your thinking.

The purpose of the following forced-choice exercise is twofold: It will connect you with your intuition while also beginning the discussion about what has meaning for you.

Instructions. You will need a clock with an easy-to-read second hand or readout. Also, a pen or pencil.

1. If you are taking this course online, begin by printing a "hard copy" of this exercise.
2. Find a quiet, comfortable spot and breathe naturally while you watch the second hand of the clock for one minute. This will refresh your memory as to how long a minute actually is. It will also help you relax, become more mindful, and open yourself up to your intuition.
3. Then, working without stopping, read each pair of words from the following list and circle one word in each pair. Go with your gut reactions, ignoring objections for now. Take no more than three seconds for each choice. Do not skip any pairs and do not erase or otherwise change your responses. You should complete the entire exercise in no more than one minute.
4. Look at the overall "word picture" you have created. Make notes about any patterns you see in your preferences. Also jot down any images or sensations that came into your consciousness and influenced your choices. Finally, identify one or more of your choices that stand out for you as particularly meaningful. Think about how you might bring more of the experience represented by that word into your life.

What to Expect. Some people breeze right through this exercise, making choices quickly and comfortably. Others are paralyzed by the fear that a choice made now will require some kind of permanent commitment later on. The trick with any forced-choice exercise is to recognize it as a game, a tool for honing your intuitive skills and exploring your deepest inclinations. By choosing one word over the other, you are not eliminating the other from your life. You are simply trying on an inclination for size. It may fit; it may not. Even after you see yourself in the mirror you won't know for sure. Some ideas you just need to wear for awhile. Later, you may change your mind. At least for today, you're just browsing.

When you are ready, begin.

There is no scoring for this exercise. Just make notes on your experience.

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