Overview
It is important when planning your future to take a look at your history. Make a list of the people, places and events that have been important in shaping your life. Looking at old photographs, talking to your family and old friends may assist you in recalling the major events from your past. Some significant things you might include are: childhood events, starting school, moving, close friends, deaths, births, marriage, divorce, accomplishments, jobs you may have had.
Look at the following example of a lifeline drawn by a 24 year-old student.
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Directions:
- Draw a line that represents your life and the major events in it. Mark the line up for events that represent high points in your life and mark the line down for events that represent low points. Write the names of significant people or events at different stages of your life. Write a brief description of the significant events and note how old you were when they occurred. You may want to do a few trials rough sketched on a scrap of paper before you draw your completed lifeline.
- When you have completed your lifeline write a few paragraphs about the following view points:
- Look at the high points of your lifeline. How did you feel about yourself at these points? Why?
- You probably marked some low points on your lifeline. It’s likely that your self-concept was somewhat negative at these points. Why?
- What influence did the people and events you included on your lifeline have on your life?
- How do you think these events have influenced your career decisions? The final work to be turned in for this assignment is the Life Line drawing and the summary paragraphs.