We recently connected with Shannon Anderson and have shared our conversation below.
Shannon, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I was one of those kids who figured out from a young age what I wanted to do. I even wrote in my high school diary that I would be an elementary teacher and write children’s books someday.
Some of the seeds that were planted, starting me on this path were a love of reading and writing, having little sisters to teach, working in the children’s section of the public library for my high school job, and helping my mom earn her GED.
When I coach others on finding their purpose, I teach them about IKIGAI. This is a Japanese term that captures your reason for being. You explore what your strengths are, what you love to do, what the world needs, and what you can be valued for. If you can find things that fit into all four of these categories at once, that is your IKIGAI.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I began my career as an elementary teacher. I taught first grade, third grade, at the college level, and became a literacy coach and gifted coordinator. About ten years ago, I applied for a fellowship to learn all about writing children’s book. I received the fellowship and began writing and submitting stories to traditional publishers.
I wrote for Highlights Children’s Magazine and had some stories published in Chicken Soup for the Soul. My first book came out in 2014 and I was hooked. Any time I had off from teaching, in the evenings, on weekends, and during vacations, I was either writing or going to conferences to learn more about writing.
Once I had about a dozen books published, I wanted to be able to do more author visits. With my teaching schedule, that was hard to do. I finally had to make the tough decision to leave teaching after doing it and loving it for 25 years. It was time to pursue my second dream – to write and speak full-time.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that have helped me in life are having a growth mindset, the desire to learn, and helping others along the way.
When you have a growth mindset, you believe that with enough practice and effort, you can do just about anything. You believe that mistakes are part of the process and that you become resilient as you overcome struggles. As a teacher, you have to learn many strategies to break through and reach all of your students. As an author, you have to overcome a lot of rejection and hurdles on your way to publication.
We live in a time where resources are plentiful. You can learn through classes, mentors, webinars, conferences, YouTube videos, books, and more. If you want to learn how to do something, you really can find something or someone to help you. Learning and improving are part of any process as you learn new skills. You have a definite advantage if you work hard and keep learning over anyone who has just talent alone.
Helping others is another way to have success in life. It is not only fulfilling to help other people, but it also causes you to learn and grow. You learn a lot by showing someone else the way. Maya Angelou said, “As you get, give. As you learn, teach.” I also believe what Zig Ziglar shared, that if you help enough other people succeed, you will succeed too. There is a true joy in giving to others and you get a chance to get to know others with similar interests when you do so. I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the kindness and help I received through teachers, mentors, professionals, and friends who shared a part of their process or role modeled in some way.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Going from an elementary teacher, where every 10 minutes of the day is explicitly planned out to a writer with a flexible schedule was a big shift. One way I have managed to stay energized and productive is through setting goals the night before. I create a “Today’s To-Do List.” I come up with 3-5 big items I NEED to accomplish the next day that I can feel good about, then I have a list of other items I would like to do after that. These may be trivial things or even fun activities. By doing this, I don’t lose sleep worrying about what needs to get done the next day. I already know. I wake up focused on the right priorities, then I can do the things that I’d like to do, guilt-free!
It may seem like creating a To-Do list the night before is just a little habit, but it yields big results.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shannonisteaching.com
- Instagram: @shannonisteaching
- Facebook: authorshannonanderson
- Linkedin: shannonisteaching
- Twitter: @shannonteaches
Image Credits
Headshot by Samantha Mitchell Photography
