Sparked
Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive
I am a curious person, but I get bored quite quickly. So, I will often acquire an interest in a topic, dig deep into it, watch tons of videos and read widely on the subject, and then get bored as fast as I get interested in it. I go deep. I learn as much as possible about it, then move on to something else.
Sometimes, it is random stuff. For example, last weekend, I watched a lot about desert cats with huge ears and can hear a rat 500m away. There are about 40 feline species, with the majority having sub-species. Again, it’s utterly random stuff of interest. I am unsure how this information would be helpful or come in handy someday, but that is my curiosity.
Curiosity.
I continually search for new things to learn about. Whether it’s comedy, science facts, war, history, culinary, movies, etc., I binge-watch, research the topic, and then move on to the next one.
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Curious about why this is my reality, I came across The Good Life Project Podcast, which highlighted “Sparketypes: Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive”. There are ten Sparketypes: the Maven, the Maker, the Scientist, the Essentialist, the Performer, the Sage, the Warrior, the Advisor, the Advocate, and the Nurturer. I took the test, and the results revealed that
My Primary Sparketype is The Maven, my Shadow is The Scientist, and my Anti Sparketype is The Performer.
“Your Primary Sparketype reveals the essential nature or “driver” of the work you’re here to do (whether it’s the work you get paid to do, or not) while Your Shadow Sparketype most often reveals the work that you may well enjoy and have developed a high level of skill around. The Anti Sparketype is the type of effort or work that comes least easily to you, is the heaviest lift, feels like it takes the most effort even if, objectively, it’s not that hard, and requires the greatest amount of recovery for you.”
Here is an excerpt of my Primary and the Shadow.
As a Maven, fascination is your call. You latch onto a topic, field or industry and devour everything you can know about it. Staying “surface level” just isn’t an option for you. It’s no fun. You are driven to learn, to discover, to ferret out information, wisdom, knowledge for no other purpose than the joy of learning and knowing something as fully and deeply as you can.
And here is what the test had to say about my shadow:
Your Shadow Sparketype is The Scientist, which means you are driven by, and find a deep sense of satisfaction in the pursuit of an answer to a burning question, or the solution to a significant problem. But, for you, when you’re really being honest, that drive is almost always in service of doing the work of your Primary Sparketype at the higher possible level. It’s more a means than an end.
My career as a scientist aligns perfectly with my Sparketype. What makes me come alive is when I seek knowledge for the sake of it, for knowledge’s sake: The Maven. But I am also a scientist, which is my day job, and I am interested in answering questions of interest. The thirst for knowledge feeds my scientific side.
What is your Sparketype? Find out through https://sparketype.com/assessment/.
The founder, Jonathan Fields, runs a Podcast, The Good Life Project, one of my favorites for conversations on various themes. At the end of most interviews, he asks, when I offer the phrase to live a good life, what comes up? This question gets me reflecting each time.
For me, my job makes me come alive, and the reason for that is that it fully aligns with my Sparketype. It is what comes easily to me. It fits how my mind works, my learning, and my curiosity. Each day is an opportunity to learn and then use what I know to answer interesting questions.
What makes you come alive? Find that, find your calling, come alive.
Learn, Do, Grow, Become.
