Mindless Academy

6/11/23

Being accepted onto an online media programme, today was our first webinar that is more or less just an introduction to the production with the first real session beginning tomorrow and will be going on for a duration of four weeks.

Meeting Laurie Stewart, the CEO and founder of Mindless, she talked of her work life before Mindless and how she began working on the company as a side hustle before making it full time only this year.

We did also get to meet Georgia Knell, the partnership manager who also shared her experiences before discovering Mindless. Also claiming to have been an intern around three to four year ago now.

Focusing more on personal growth, they talked a lot about the programme being made more for discovering the best version of yourself rather than making a CV look pretty. "Personal transformation journey."

With three key targets, Mindset, Skills and Experience, each session has been split into three parts:

• Mindset coaching
• Digital skill coaching
• Social and environmental content briefs

"What you put into this programme is exactly what you will get out of it." Put your all in to each session and follow the weekly deadlines.

Given a little sneak peak to tomorrows webinar, Linkdn will be the main focus with us having to create something that highlights the programme we are doing.

• Boost career confidence.
• Master core digital skills.
• Online portfolio.
• Certificate of completion.

Tips:

1. Go all in. 
2. Be less mindless. The name 'Mindless' is to be used as a mirror. Reflect on yourself.
3. Be ready to learn.
4. Be seen off screen, build an online presence.

And that is that until tomorrow where the journey really begins.

7/11/23 - Week 1

Today, we met Dekan Apajee, the head of the media department and our life coach for this programme.

Thinking we would talk about our tasks for this programme, or even our task for this week, but the session was literally, a life coaching session.

Talking about self awareness more or less the whole time, the first topic we covered was about mindset, and what that means to us.

Mindset

• How we think and interact.
• Manifesting that things will be okay.
• Mental attitude.
• Strategy, our mindsets are a tool into helping ourselves.
• Attributes made up to determine how we think.

Self awareness

• Understanding our thought process.
• How we think about ourselves.
• Must check on regularly.
• It is almost selfish to not be self aware.

"Present the best side of ourselves, for ourselves."

Think about, how do we use self awareness in life? And how can we improve?

Just by walking down the road, think about those around you. It is your responsibility to be self aware. Consider, you don't know what others are going through.

That being all from the call, the website is where our tasks are set.

We must create a post on Linkdn to announce the start of our virtual work experience journey with Mindless Academy. This showcases to employers how and why we have invested time into developing our mindset, skills and experience.

For the post:

• Define your goal.
• Know your audience.
• Create a compelling headline that is concise and relevant.
• Use emojis in the title.
• Be informative, inspiring, and/or thought-provoking.
• Short sentences and bullet points.
• Images
• Use hashtags, images, links and tags.
• Proof-read and edit.

Having a start and an end to the post, now it is figuring out what is right for the middle.

And so far, we can tick off the headline, that I can only hope is compelling enough, alongside the use of emojis and tags.

Needing an image, the slideshow has provided a few options to choose from. The first few basically being the same format as this only in different colours, with blue being my favourite I went with this one.  

The other half basically had the same message, only with a person in the poster. And although they do make good posters, I feel weird selecting on with a person on it so a simple text one that provides the message I am giving in the post is all I need.

With this so far, it is hard to tell whether that is the right amount of text or not. I am trying to shorten it, but it is also figuring out what is more relevant to add and replace.

Not so much a fan of this one compared to the first draft.

Getting better. But "mentally self improved" doesn't come across as positive as it is intended.

Still wrong.

Maybe? It's just the self improved part I am mainly trying to get right.

All of these attempts just make me sound like I am desperate for self improvement but that is no where near how I am meaning it.

And finally, I have it:

14/11/23 - Week 2

After having a run down of what we had covered last week for discussion to see if anyone had taken any notes away from that, for this week we are talking about emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence

• Being aware of our emotions and intentions, and knowing where and how to direct them.
• Empathy with a professional setting.
• Monitoring yours, and others, emotions.
• Self aware and mindful to yourself and others.
• To act a certain way.
• Gathering information, and using that with your actions.

Self regulation

• Self care.
• Delaying immediate reactions, allowing time to process and think.

Emotions are what make us our individual selves.

Motivation

• The ability to encourage yourself into getting tasks complete.
• Achieving personal objectives.
• The internal drive when you don't want to do something.
• The drive to keep going even in the face of challenges.
• Energy.

Empathy

• Holding back, telling someone in need what they want to hear more than what they need to hear.
• Sharing an emotional connection with someone.
• Opening yourself up emotionally.
• Self aware: what doesn't affect you might affect someone else.
• Perspective.

Social skills

• Communication.
• Empathy.
• Body language.
• Listening skills.
• Reading people.

Reading into this weeks task now, I am assuming each week now will be similar as the PowerPoint states I am to choose any one brief out of seventeen each week. Each in relation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Reminders:

• Deadline is always Monday, 5pm.
• Create all content using WordPress, only save do not upload until week 4.
• Word count is limited to 300-800.
• Write in UK English.
• Keep voice, tone and style on brand.
• Have an inviting title.
• Use subtitles.
• Hyperlinks for referencing.
• Finish content with a call to action.

The seventeen brief options:

1. Ending poverty.
2. Zero hunger.
3. Good health and well-being.
4. Quality education.
5. Gender equality.
6. Clean water and sanitation.
7. Affordable and clean energy.
8. Decent work and economic growth.
9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure.
10. Reduced inequalities.
11. Sustainable cities and communities.
12. Responsible consumption and production.
13. Climate action.
14. Life below water.
15. Life on land.
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions.
17. Partnerships for the goals.

After a little hassle, for the first time since my first year at college... (well technically second but back to it), I have logged into my old WordPress account. Never really getting the hang of the software, I have managed to connect my account to Mindless Academy and can only hope my previous website doesn't interfere with this programme. Surely it shouldn't by the looks of things they have been separated.

27/11/23

Leaving it there, I did make a start by gathering research on my first topic but having to miss the last two week of sessions, at this time I don't have the time to play catch up wanting to put all my all into the upcoming deadlines I have for uni work. Not just that, but as good as it would have been for me being apart of this programme, I wouldn't say it was for me at all.