Thesis stress sets one's values straight!

Luckily for my thesis / unfortunately for my blog I have spent a lot of time the past weeks getting the report into proper frames before deadline 30th September... Sigh. This brings me straight to the topic of choice for tonight. Thesis stress.

Though as you know I prefer not to use the word "stress", just like I try to use "challenge" instead of "problem". So lets say that I am just under a bit of pressure these days, finishing my thesis. This is a situation, which indeed sets one's priorities straight!

Personal priorities and values are concepts I have been continuously faced with during my attempts to get out of the wilderness and onto a clearer path - metaphorically speaking, obviously. I remember when I realised how values can serve as support for decision making - it was in a training session in LSS 2010 with the title "Focus and Time Management", I was delivering it with Wendelien, and I felt somewhat hypocritical trying to help people finding their way in life, when I didn't even know where I was going myself. We managed well though, and I learned a lot myself in that session.

I realised that the foundation of making decisions consists of values. I think its like this... If you have clear goals in life, you can easily identify your priorities, and those can be used for guidance. Without clear goals the priorities can be more foggy, and you need to consider also your values before the priorities stand out, but fear not - it is actually not as complicated as it sounds! :)

So what I did was this: Look at a list of values, and identify 10 that are the most important to you. Then sort of the 5 which are your top priorities. Write them down, e.g. on a post-it, and stick it somewhere you are remind often.

The values in this wordle above are among the ones that are most important to me. I have them written down; its not like I carry it around with me, but I like to look at it once in a while, and think things over...

I got to think about the topic of this post when I was considering how I am spending my time now that I am under pressure due to the thesis-writing. What things I feel like I can't move from my calendar; the things that make me less stressed. Those include workout and dinners with my sister, while meetings with friends and parties seem to less important. And actually, now that my deadline is coming closer, I really feel like I am becoming a lot more efficient, and not allowing myself all those procrastinations I used to. Like cleaning the windows, even though they could use it! It feels really good to work in a more focused manner - consistent with the achievement and integrity in the wordle, since I believe in dedication to a task! :)

Now I "just" need to figure out how those values can help me along in deciding where I overall want to go with my life... :D Suggestions and thoughts are more than welcome!

My speech from LSS

During the Leadership Summer School (LSS) this year we had a TEDx inspired session with speeches given by LSS participants and trainers. We called it "LSS Inspire", and it was truly one of the most motivating events I have ever taken part in. More about this is a later post. :)

During LSS Inspire I wrote this short speech, which I delivered during the closing ceremony.

Finding your way in life

We have almost a lifetime ahead of us. With decisions to make and roads to walk. Roads, which will lead us to the end of our lives, where, hopefully, we will have an incredible story to tell.

But how to choose the roads to walk? Personally, I don’t know where I am going. I find it hard to answer questions about where I want to be in just 5-10 years.

Its not that I don’t have dreams, there are just too many variables. Therefore, sometimes it is hard for me to figure out what way I need to go. In case you feel the same, I would like to share with you an approach I have applied to my life recently. Are you ready to hear it?

Choose the paths that lead to the best stories.

When you look back on your life from your future, what experiences will be the most memorable? Choose those.

This approach can be applied on many levels in your life, like choosing whether you should go on a trip somewhere or not. Create the stories.

My aim with this speech is to give you inspiration to create a life full of experiences, full of memories. So let me repeat: Choose the paths that lead to the best stories.

Thank you! 

Revolutionary Road

I just had the pleasure of watching Revolutionary Road. A story of a couple in the 50'ies America, with dreams that are bigger than what can be satisfied by a mediocre suburban life. They want the same, they have similar dreams, and she is ready to break out of the ordinary - but he is afraid to face the challenge. A typical case of talking the walk, but not walking the talk.

It made me think... What would I do? Its one of those movies where most people would probably identify themselves with the female lead, who has enough courage to follow her dreams, but really... Honestly - is that what we do? Or do we take the safe road, which will prevent us from fulfilling our true desires? Two thoughts on this...

One: What are MY true desires?

Truth is, I don't know. Truth is also that I have been thinking about this for quite a while, without being able to formulate anything that makes sense.

"Oh, you're graduating soon, then what do you want to do?!" I don't know.

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?" I don't know.

"Where do you wanna go with your life, how will YOU make a difference, WHAT IS YOU BIGGEST DREAM?!" I DON'T KNOW!!!

... Do I sound frustrated? Well, I am. A bit. But just a bit.

I want to say that it doesn't matter. That it makes no difference to me right now that I don't have a goal to aim for. That it gives me a feeling of freedom to be open to whatever opportunities I might encounter. And that is true. And at the same time, it isn't.

The freedom IS awesome! Because in 2 months I will graduate, and I have the world ahead of me. I am young, naïve, and idealistic enough to believe that I can do whatever I want! And no, it doesn't scare me that I don't know what it is I want, 'cause I am sure some opportunity will turn up - and then nothing prevents me from taking it. I see myself as a little birdie, running towards the edge of a cliff to try if my wings are strong enough to keep me from falling, and tell you what... I have reason to think that they are.

(My greetings goes out to the lady from the Danish Medicines Agency whom in January 2009 in Amsterdam full of antipathy called me "a young, naïve idealist". I have been proud of that ever since, and I hope I will never grow out of that description.)

What however does bother me that tiny bit is the fact that I would be a good deal more efficient in choosing my way in life if I had a notion of what I want to achieve. Im ok with the fact that anything I do is a step towards my goal, whatever it may be, 'cause all experiences will bring me forward. But intentionally pursuing an aim would give another motivation for progress and development, another energy to move forward.

I recognize the motivation from many other elements of my life, say trainings or EPSA. The motivation to improve something, to see the goal and to work towards it, and to celebrate the achievement once we get there. That feeling is awesome. And without goals, there will be no achievements. Or at least they will be random. And randomness is maybe not specifically what I would like as the major driving force in my life.

Two: The "story path" guideline applies

So what do I do now? Its not like I can make up an aim just like that. I guess that is what this blog is about - finding a goal and a way in life. For now, I think I will go with a thought I presented in a speech to a group of friends not so long ago. Its actually very simple:

Choose the paths that lead to the best stories. 

I will upload the speech in another post, and for now let me just briefly explain the idea. It is a combination of different aspects; the freedom to choose and the lack of goals, the desire to explore the world and to experience something that is worth telling others. And worth reliving in memories. This is how I am currently making decisions, 'cause let me tell you, it is not always easy to be ambitious and yet lacking goals in life!

This is at least a guideline, and I guess in some way also an aim. To have good stories to tell. 

My new blog

I just realised that I need a new blog. Its like only stories related to my exchange in Arizona and the trip in Mexico belongs in the old one (see link in the menu to the right), so I decided that it makes no sense to try to continue writing my thoughts there. I need something different.

So here you go. My new blog about finding my way in life.

Its funny how one of the first pictures I posted in my former blog would suit so perfectly in the first post here also. The road sign - once again I am standing on the verge of something new, something big. Last time it was when I relocated my life to the other side of the world for half a year. This time...

I graduate with a master degree in pharmacy in October, and I guess I am supposed to know what I want to with it. I don't. My aim with this blog is to figure out what it is I want to do with my life, or at least to come closer to an idea. It is my hope that the writing will facilitate some sort of thought process, and help me structure my thoughts into something more tangible - something that will clarify things a bit.

The last couple of years have been fantastic, and have taught me more about myself than I ever expected. I will try to use this blog to figure out what it really is I have learned, and also find ways to discover even more.

Maybe, somewhere along the road I will find some answers to where I am going. And between the indefinite number of roads find one I would like to walk.

I felt like I had to put a picture of a road... I like this one! :)