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.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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