Walking a Different Path – A 92,000 Hours Worksheet

How can we ensure that we are not only “doing” the things matter to us personally but that we are also “being” in the way that aligns with us meaningfully?

In our most recent episode of 92,000 Hours, we bring together the lessons from our powerful season of introspective workshops for a “graduation ceremony” – of sorts.

Take out a piece of paper and divide it into four quadrants. You can also print out the worksheet linked below. The top left horizontal line should say Being/Thinking. The top right horizontal line should say Doing. The top vertical axis should say Saying Yes and the lower vertical axis should say Saying No.

Now, take 20 minutes and list 2-3 things in each quadrant. In the top left quadrant, think of several things that you will say yes to being or thinking, under that what you will say no to being or thinking. On the right what will you say yes to doing and on the bottom right what will you say no to doing?

This can be hard, but you can do it. Think about what you’ve learned about yourself, be honest with yourself, and identify what you really want to be free of and do more of. This can be an incredibly impactful exercise. It simply depends on how seriously you take it.

Now, it’s time for your graduation ceremony.

To do this, you’ll need your square squad. Remember those people in your life – maybe it is just one person, but it could be up to a handful – who you turn to for their constructive criticism and opinions? The people who hold you with care and love, and who you can be vulnerable with? You’ll need them with you to share in your 92,000 Hours commencement.

Here's what I’d like you to do: using masking tape, a long tape measure, even a belt… find something that you can place on the floor that creates a “line” that you must cross by stepping over it. A member of your square squad should stand on the other side of the line, holding your Saying Yes and Saying No paper so that you can read it. When I did this with my students, I’d stand on the other side of the masking tape line on the floor and each student would read their Saying Yes and Saying No statements out loud to the other members of our group – their own Square Squad, their own personal board of directors. This act of saying what you will and will not think and do out loud and then  “crossing the line” to this “new you” is significant. This is your gift to yourself. And bringing in someone who will understand the significance of your saying yes and saying no statements, and who can be present with you and hold you accountable to honoring those statements, will make them even more meaningful.

So make this special. Say your statements out loud. Feel the meaning that you put into them, and the gravity of what honoring them would actually mean to you. Commit to them. Make sure you’re ready, because when you cross that line, you will not be the same. I’ve had students step over that masking tape line by dancing, doing cartwheels, jumping with both feet, or sometimes even falling into someone’s arms. So think about it. Once you cross that line, you are taking ownership of living more authentically, and as the you who knows who you are, what you value, and what brings you meaning.

I hope you and your square squad honor the moment with a toast, a hug, a glass of wine or a nice dinner. And I hope you’ll share it with me. I’d love to know what you are saying yes and saying no to in your life, and what it felt like to cross that line and commit to yourself.

Let us know how it goes.