Exploring Free Opportunities to Advance Skills and Gain Recognition

Do you want to live with more intention to achieve your goals? In this 6th episode in a series on Intentional Living, Dr. Regan discusses ways to grow in areas of interest by expanding skills and using free or low cost methods of networking and introducing products or services to others. 

Previous podcast episodes mentioned:

Shifting Autistic Characteristics Across the Lifespan

Autism in Women

Coursera (online courses)

 

Dr. Regan's Resources

Book: Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed

Audiobook

Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors

Autism in the Adult website homepage

Website Resources for Clinicians

Read the transcript:

1
00:00:06,019 --> 00:00:06,829
Hello,

2
00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:16,920
this is Doctor Regan joining you for the sixth episode of Our Living With Intention series on the Autism in the Adult podcast.

3
00:00:17,290 --> 00:00:20,159
I am the mom of a teen on the spectrum.

4
00:00:20,459 --> 00:00:26,180
I have a doctorate in the field of brain behavior relationships called neuropsychology.

5
00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:28,549
I'm also an author and speaker,

6
00:00:28,559 --> 00:00:36,279
a certified autism specialist and the founder and director of an autism diagnostic clinic in Central Illinois,

7
00:00:36,290 --> 00:00:38,000
serving adolescents,

8
00:00:38,009 --> 00:00:40,060
adults and aging adults.

9
00:00:42,180 --> 00:00:45,069
Before we jump into our topic for today,

10
00:00:45,090 --> 00:00:48,250
let's take a throwback to past episodes.

11
00:00:48,619 --> 00:00:51,790
Looking back to two years ago at this time,

12
00:00:51,869 --> 00:00:54,779
I published an episode about autism in women.

13
00:00:55,299 --> 00:00:59,330
It's been one of the most listened to episodes of the podcast.

14
00:00:59,779 --> 00:01:02,270
And one year ago at this time,

15
00:01:02,279 --> 00:01:13,699
we were in the midst of a series about how autism characteristics may shift somewhat across the lifespan during puberty across life,

16
00:01:13,709 --> 00:01:17,879
seasons in women and throughout the aging years,

17
00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,569
I'll go ahead and link these episodes in the show notes in case you miss them.

18
00:01:24,989 --> 00:01:25,199
Now,

19
00:01:25,209 --> 00:01:30,139
let's talk about our current episode in The Living With Intention series.

20
00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:37,309
I've named the series Living With Intention because sometimes as humans,

21
00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:53,690
we just kind of get swept up in the demands of daily life or we get stuck in some areas and it can help to pause and consider where we would like to be in various areas of our lives.

22
00:01:54,370 --> 00:02:02,739
And then to think about how to take small achievable steps on a path toward our intention.

23
00:02:03,839 --> 00:02:04,629
And so far,

24
00:02:04,639 --> 00:02:13,050
we've spoken about three areas of life that someone may have goals for such as improving regulation,

25
00:02:13,539 --> 00:02:15,539
that means feeling centered,

26
00:02:15,550 --> 00:02:18,619
calm and psychologically present.

27
00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:27,210
We talked about communicating and connecting and also about addressing issues of household culture.

28
00:02:28,750 --> 00:02:29,449
Today,

29
00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:32,679
we will look at the area of interests.

30
00:02:32,690 --> 00:02:44,070
Many people that I work with share that they're so captivated by a certain topic or activity that they would love to expand this in their life.

31
00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:45,500
For example,

32
00:02:45,509 --> 00:02:47,470
if someone is an artist,

33
00:02:47,710 --> 00:02:52,380
they may share that they think they would like to sell designs on Etsy,

34
00:02:54,000 --> 00:03:01,710
another person may share that they are immersed in sewing and this is so interesting and calming to them.

35
00:03:02,210 --> 00:03:09,970
They've developed quite a skill in this area and they're wondering if they could expand by doing some things in their community.

36
00:03:11,270 --> 00:03:21,240
Another may have an amazing brain for sports statistics and wish that they could get into sports casting as a niche in life.

37
00:03:23,399 --> 00:03:23,929
Again,

38
00:03:23,940 --> 00:03:29,149
it's important to emphasize that these are goals that the individual presents with.

39
00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:33,800
This is not an episode about what someone's goals should be,

40
00:03:33,949 --> 00:03:37,210
but rather to address the thought of gosh,

41
00:03:37,220 --> 00:03:48,089
I love this stuff and I would love to do more or use it in a way that reaches a wider area or a wider audience.

42
00:03:49,759 --> 00:03:58,970
So how does one start a path toward getting more involved in the area of an intense interest?

43
00:04:00,710 --> 00:04:07,130
So how to get started as we talked about in the second episode on this series,

44
00:04:07,399 --> 00:04:14,979
it is recommended that we take small defined achievable steps in the direction we would like to go.

45
00:04:15,850 --> 00:04:22,579
So one such step may be to gain some additional skills in the area of interest.

46
00:04:22,869 --> 00:04:23,880
For example,

47
00:04:23,890 --> 00:04:29,679
if someone produces a product and they would like to offer the product on the internet,

48
00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:39,200
they may wish to get training in things like basic marketing strategies using social media for sales and creating a website.

49
00:04:40,209 --> 00:04:44,359
Someone who creates a myriad of characters and stories,

50
00:04:44,549 --> 00:04:59,209
this individual may want to write fiction books in order to bridge the gap from having great ideas and wonderful creativity to bringing together some stories into a book.

51
00:04:59,239 --> 00:05:03,730
The individual may wish to take a formal course in creative writing.

52
00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:07,010
Now,

53
00:05:07,019 --> 00:05:12,209
I know taking a course can feel daunting but a wonderful place to learn.

54
00:05:12,220 --> 00:05:20,209
Some of these skills is on the internet and there are Myriads of free online courses in various areas.

55
00:05:21,209 --> 00:05:21,739
In fact,

56
00:05:21,750 --> 00:05:28,390
there are so many options that I just can't even list the top opportunities in the show note links.

57
00:05:28,399 --> 00:05:29,690
There are so many,

58
00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,279
but I'll share a few things about learning from the internet.

59
00:05:35,190 --> 00:05:37,279
Have you ever heard of a MOOC?

60
00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,059
That's M - O - O - C.

61
00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:46,750
It's a massive open online course - MOOC.

62
00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:54,359
And this is a free web-based distance learning program that's designed for huge numbers of people.

63
00:05:54,369 --> 00:05:59,869
Thus the word massive ... of geographically dispersed students.

64
00:06:00,049 --> 00:06:08,380
So open means that these are accessible to multiple levels of people very often,

65
00:06:08,390 --> 00:06:11,929
these are free and they're online.

66
00:06:11,940 --> 00:06:13,820
So this is all web based.

67
00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:21,950
I myself have been a student in several MOC courses to learn things that I can't learn locally.

68
00:06:22,079 --> 00:06:23,089
For example,

69
00:06:23,100 --> 00:06:28,390
I got to take a Behavioral Genetics course through the University of Minnesota.

70
00:06:28,609 --> 00:06:33,429
I took a neuroanatomy course through the University of Illinois Chicago.

71
00:06:34,790 --> 00:06:39,619
And what happens is that you earn a participation certificate from the course,

72
00:06:39,630 --> 00:06:41,079
which is free,

73
00:06:41,910 --> 00:06:50,410
but the benefits are both the information you learn and also having this on your resume as an area of self study.

74
00:06:50,839 --> 00:07:00,309
So the MOOC platforms also have developed paid versions of courses where you earn some type of verified credit or certificate.

75
00:07:00,739 --> 00:07:16,459
And they also have programs that are kind of compilation certificates... like, take seven writing courses and get this advanced writing certificate or a grouping of computer courses for an IT specialization certificate.

76
00:07:18,709 --> 00:07:25,670
The particular site for MOOC courses that I used was Coursera.org and I'll put that in the show notes.

77
00:07:25,899 --> 00:07:29,600
But there are so many sites to choose from.

78
00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:38,549
I encourage you to use an internet search engine for free online courses in the area of your interest.

79
00:07:41,500 --> 00:07:57,809
Another opportunity for learning more skills in your area of interest would be youtube tutorials and also programs like Adobe that offer video instruction to become more expert in their program offerings.

80
00:07:58,720 --> 00:07:59,809
In this context,

81
00:07:59,820 --> 00:08:03,690
you could learn things like video and audio editing,

82
00:08:03,700 --> 00:08:04,609
photography

83
00:08:04,619 --> 00:08:05,399
editing,

84
00:08:05,459 --> 00:08:08,390
how to use website design software...

85
00:08:08,799 --> 00:08:19,959
Podcast platforms like Podbean and others also provide podcasts about how to become and succeed as a podcaster in your area of interest.

86
00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:27,609
And they also offer blog posts and articles about all the things their sites offer to support your goals.

87
00:08:27,619 --> 00:08:52,500
So there's a lot of free learning opportunities in the form of videos, in the form of programs that offer their own education about their products and also podcasts that just talk about how to develop your niche in addition to increasing skills in your area.

88
00:08:52,780 --> 00:09:09,849
Another way to take a step toward your goal of expanding your interest would be to start doing some things on a volunteer basis or to provide giveaways or free products as promotions to highlight your work or skills.

89
00:09:10,549 --> 00:09:11,380
So again,

90
00:09:11,390 --> 00:09:14,409
this doesn't need to be the end goal,

91
00:09:14,489 --> 00:09:14,799
you know,

92
00:09:14,809 --> 00:09:18,950
to be volunteering as the ultimate end,

93
00:09:19,299 --> 00:09:28,400
but it can be one step to help you become more comfortable in this area to gain experience and also to get your offerings out there.

94
00:09:30,989 --> 00:09:40,159
Someone who bakes may wish to donate cookies to the local elementary school open house with a nicely crafted sign about their business,

95
00:09:40,169 --> 00:09:42,229
including their contact information.

96
00:09:42,630 --> 00:09:51,179
They could even put a QR code on the sign so parents can scan the sign and save their contact information in their website location.

97
00:09:52,320 --> 00:10:03,489
The individual who loves sports statistics and wants to become a sportscaster may wish to volunteer time to local sports teams as the sports announcer during the games.

98
00:10:04,450 --> 00:10:07,229
This helps the person create contacts,

99
00:10:07,510 --> 00:10:13,479
get used to the tasks involved in doing the work and lets other people see their skills.

100
00:10:15,929 --> 00:10:24,049
There are other ways to use free venues to increase your credentials and get your work out there.

101
00:10:27,109 --> 00:10:30,419
Looking for free opportunities to get involved,

102
00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,510
advance your skills and get your work out.

103
00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:38,219
There is a really good way to step toward that intention of expansion.

104
00:10:38,539 --> 00:10:39,739
So for example,

105
00:10:39,750 --> 00:10:45,809
someone who's trying to develop creative writing skills may wish to enter their stories into contests.

106
00:10:46,270 --> 00:10:48,960
And once you have a body of work developed,

107
00:10:49,119 --> 00:11:02,169
you might find it fairly straightforward to enter appropriate work in various contests for review and as your work earns mentions or comments or awards,

108
00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:06,270
these can be highlighted in your credentials on your website.

109
00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:21,210
Someone who loves making characters and writing may also want to write fan fiction on the internet as a way of using a resource to get their work out there.

110
00:11:23,190 --> 00:11:25,659
For an individual who loves,

111
00:11:25,669 --> 00:11:26,229
loves,

112
00:11:26,239 --> 00:11:35,909
loves running and decides they may wish to do some personal training for other long distance runners locally or in their community,

113
00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:42,500
this person may wish to enter races and keep track of these credentials to market their services.

114
00:11:43,030 --> 00:11:47,200
Some races or events may be free and others may have a fee.

115
00:11:47,250 --> 00:11:48,000
But in the end,

116
00:11:48,010 --> 00:11:52,440
this could be a way of meeting people with similar interests,

117
00:11:52,460 --> 00:12:02,169
getting your name out there as someone who's actively pursuing running and training and getting some race placements to add to your credentials.

118
00:12:05,869 --> 00:12:12,099
The important things about these approaches are that they're small steps,

119
00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:14,979
they're toward your desired outcome.

120
00:12:14,989 --> 00:12:22,760
Whatever you've decided your intention is this is where I'd like to be in this area of my life.

121
00:12:23,669 --> 00:12:30,200
And these small steps help you get a feel for what your goal may feel like in the end.

122
00:12:31,190 --> 00:12:32,320
For example,

123
00:12:32,330 --> 00:12:46,000
someone who thinks that they might want to become a teacher will gain a lot of information about teaching by volunteering to teach a course at the community center every Saturday for four weeks.

124
00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:53,440
So they get a taste of what it feels like to instruct a small group of adults or Children.

125
00:12:54,250 --> 00:13:03,460
They get a taste for some of the paperwork or the communication demands in between the actual classes and instruction.

126
00:13:04,229 --> 00:13:10,000
Some people who love a particular topic and they think they might want to teach,

127
00:13:10,030 --> 00:13:19,200
end up realizing after some of these volunteer opportunities that the actual process of teaching is not something they love.

128
00:13:22,530 --> 00:13:28,270
Another important thing about this approach is that for some of the options.

129
00:13:28,609 --> 00:13:35,520
There's really not a high demand for in-person contact or being in crowded classrooms.

130
00:13:36,059 --> 00:13:52,239
Some individuals may feel that expanding their interests into well formed skills or offerings is most daunting because they really can't imagine themselves opening a whole storefront or running a restaurant full of people.

131
00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:58,770
But this approach can harness all of the online opportunities for learning,

132
00:13:58,780 --> 00:13:59,909
for creating,

133
00:13:59,919 --> 00:14:05,880
for selling through the internet while engaging in certain community events that you choose.

134
00:14:06,159 --> 00:14:16,099
You get to decide how much uh event based activity do I want to do in the community or how much do I want to travel?

135
00:14:16,229 --> 00:14:23,330
How much customer interaction do I want versus time to regroup in my own space?

136
00:14:26,590 --> 00:14:31,000
I'm a firm believer that your community needs your gifts,

137
00:14:31,010 --> 00:14:32,159
your knowledge,

138
00:14:32,169 --> 00:14:40,070
your passion and whatever area you find that in and finding ways to take steps to your passion,

139
00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,229
not only blesses you,

140
00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:49,280
but those around you and having ways of expressing that also is something that fills you up.

141
00:14:49,619 --> 00:14:50,969
I love creating.

142
00:14:50,979 --> 00:14:51,929
I love writing,

143
00:14:51,940 --> 00:14:52,909
I love running.

144
00:14:52,919 --> 00:14:54,690
I love sports statistics.

145
00:14:54,960 --> 00:15:06,270
We like to have some balanced way of allowing you to learn and grow in this area to feed that passion and to serve your community.

146
00:15:09,030 --> 00:15:16,119
Thank you so much for joining me for the sixth episode of the Living With Intention series.

147
00:15:16,349 --> 00:15:27,099
And I invite you to check out the show notes for links to opportunities mentioned in this episode and for links to other offerings on my website.

148
00:15:27,349 --> 00:15:31,880
And I hope that you join me for the next podcast episode.