Take out a sheet of paper or your Scanner Daybook and write a list like Pamela’s, with as many experiences or accomplishments, big and small, as you can think of, from teaching your dog a trick when you were a kid, to painting a portrait, to raising your own children or helping someone pass an exam. Include all the projects you started that didn’t get finished, businesses that didn’t get off the ground, courses you didn’t complete, and novels you planned but didn’t write. Don’t think too long, just write down anything that comes to mind. New items will pop into your head when you think you’re done, so don’t try to put the list in any kind of order. What you remember is exactly what should be there.
Do it now. Pick up your pencil and start writing. Give yourself about 5 minutes to write, then come back when you’re finished.
Use your Scanner Daybook for this 5 minute exercise, and leave some empty space to the right of your list. In a new comment on this page, tell us about your experience listing what you have done so far. Any surprises? Any insights? Then read the rest of the comments and see if you would like to reply to any of them. Your replies make a huge difference to your fellow members and to how many of the group will stick with us through all the chapters in this life-expanding book.
Please be sure to subscribe to future comments on this exercise or to check back here on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning for new ones. If there are a lot of comments by then, look for an Older Comments link to see any that do not fit on this page.
Use the Next link (up above the title) to continue on to Exercise 2: What Are Your Rewards? after you are done with your comments.
I am working at a pace that is a bit slower for me, but my goal is to keep moving forward.
I appreciate the Index from Do Mi Stauber ~ thank you!
Since this was the second time doing/looking at this list, a few things happened. I remember being surprised about the things that came to mind the first time. This time, I added to the list, no surprises really, but the list kept growing and I could have kept going. I did see the connections to some of those activities and the connections to my “pollen” rewards.
I got up to 48, and maybe I am making even the smallest of achievements worth listing! A lot of my pride comes from trying things for the first time, and not being afraid. I like to dive into new environments or tasks without any context and I just trust it will work out once I figure out a process while I’m at it, such as moving to different countries or going into a new job type/industry. It’s like a test for myself to prove I can do it.
Love the trust “that it will work out”!
This was a phenomenal exercise for me. I found listing everything (well, as many things as I could remember in 5 minutes) a confidence booster. I had lost track of all the things I have done, learned, and experienced.
Love this Art!
This happened to me, too. I also remembered some of the things associated with those that I listed. It was a very enlightening exercise.
I also came up with a long list and I found that many of my achievements have been about working with other people to get a difficult job done, or working with other people to create something to share with others (playing in bands, singing in choirs), or travelling alone to discover new places and meet people from others cultures. I’ve also done a lot of work encouraging other people, e.g. helping a friend to get a job by meeting up with him once a week to make sure he kept at it. It took him six months, but it worked! I’ve also been a trouble-shooter where I’ve stood back from a situation and worked out what was going wrong and helped to fix it, e.g. in a band situation, when the music just wasn’t coming together. The thing I’m most proud of is being a researcher/assistant author of a book that got published and got coverage in the national media. Nevertheless, I can’t say I feel elated… perhaps a bit tired and baffled, yet also hopeful and looking forward to Chapter 3.
Thank you for sharing Christine!
This process is eye opening, isn’t it? Enjoy the process.
I think I got to about 40 or so accomplishments over the course of my life. I definitely pivot/move on to new experiences (work, hobbies, even friend groups) when I get bored and I’m no longer challenged, or it’s no longer fun. Classic Scanner behavior.
Thank you J!
Wow – that’s impressive!
Thanks, I recongise, that us Scanner seem to love a challenge.
Interesting comment about friend groups. I am going to have to think more about this. I have several friends from long ago, but since we have moved so much, many of them are just Social Media friends now. Not the same. Hmmm.
I was a strong runner and swimmer as a child, I swam a mile age 7.
Went to ballet school age 11
Then joined a youth theatre.
Got into a prestigious Acting School in London
Landed my first lead role for a BBC costume drama straight out of drama school.
Acted professionally for 16 years, TV, Film, Theatre, Radio, adverts – I acted in USA, Vienna, West End and all around UK.
Stand Up Comedy and the Edingburgh Fringe Festival
Was a voice over artist
Learnt to play 2 grade 8 piano peices for a play I was in.
Had a stint being a coperate trainer
Tried my hand at Toastmasters and Ballroom dancing
Held down numerous jobs in between acting including; Selling make-up, bread, clothes, silverware in the Crown Jewllers. I have worked night shifts in factories and I once worked in a singles night event, where I met my husband.
Moved house 8 times
Was a house sitter for a while
Fostered dogs and worked with guide dogs for the blind
Sold things I’ve made on ebay
Was chair of parents association
Worked at a retreat centre in Portugal
I have raised two boys and have looked after my husband through some chronic illness’
Was a party animal/ hell raiser who then turned sober
Re-trained to be an intuitive counsellor, healer and meditation teacher
I have two boys and a husband who I have helped through various chronic illness’
I hope this doen’t sound like I’m showing off, but that’s the life of an actor, it’s the perfect scanner job, no two jobs are the same and you have to be adaptable to be able to work anywhere to keep the money coming in between jobs. I don’t think I could have been an actor for long had I not been a scanner.
Thank you for sharing Zibby….love all of the detail 🙂
Also very impressive! I love your adaptability. You strike me as someone who just ‘gets things done’!
Thank you Christine, I wish I was osmeone who got things done. Lol, I also leave a lot of things undone!
Great list. It doesn’t sound showy at all, but it’s the list of a busy scanner. My list is quite extensive in other areas, some similar (I moved a lot, did Toastmasters, direct sales, and am in the health and wellness area now, for example), but I would say the most challenging job has been wife and parent, especially a parent to an adult. One day, and breath at a time.
I ended up with a list of 50 things, and I am sure there are more. I thought this exercise might make me feel good about myself but it did not, it just seemed to be a disjointed list and I felt like I was bragging (to myself!) One thing I noticed is that most of my “accomplishments” did not produce any income, and while I don’t think money is everything, it is a necessity. I wonder whether any of these “non money makers” can be parlayed into a business or career. I guess I would like to understand whether this is just a random list or whether I can learn more about myself, my talents and my needs by seeing this randomness in a new way. Perhaps the rest of the chapter will enlighten me!
Yes Abby…certainly more to come in the coming chapters☺️. Ty for sharing!
I’m interested in what you’ll find in the next exercise. You may have just the right mindset: looking for your patterns in the randomness. Where’s it all going? I’m certainly wondering that as well.
Similarly, I had a deflated feeling after doing the exercise, and like you, I’m keeping myself open to being curious and wondering what comes next in terms of understanding what it’s all about!
Barbara starts the book at college.
I’m noticing early adulthood is the time in life we’re really expected to Dive.
We’ve been told to Scan up until that point and then suddenly we’re told to Dive. That we must Dive. Or else.
And if you don’t like your first choice, sure, Dive again with a second major or a graduate degree or two.
As proof of the social programming context, I need look no further than my wife’s exclamation “refuse to choose?!” Her scoffing tone making clear that of course I would be reading a book with such a ridiculous title.
My first idea was to sell Scanner to her and try to change my environment. My second idea is that this my Work to live in this world.
Thank you Nate…and man those “scoffs” leave an imprint
I’m sorry you got that reaction, Nate, and glad there is an online community here to cheer you on
Oh dear, sorry your wife was dimissive of the book title Refuse to Choose, I guess it proves that scanners are a misunderstood breed. However, with the help of the book we can put our Scanner personalities to good use and find no reason to feel shame rather celebrate our minds and thrive.
So true Zibby!
Keep at it and maybe your wife will come around!
I am sorry, but at least she wasn’t holding back, and it can be used to open up a dialog. I used to get that reaction from extended family.
There is a video on YouTube of Barbara explaining what a Scanner is, “Are You a Scanner?” If you show her, that may help her understand more. I shared it with my husband; it was only 15 min; his first reaction was that it wasn’t him, so I said, no, it is ME! It is good to tell her that this video helps to explain you better and how you function before having her view it. I also share the “aha” moments in my readings with my husband. He can’t relate, but it helps him to understand where I am. I hope that helps.
What a delightful and resourceful idea Nan! I love this so much.