This post was inspired by Customer Strategy Podcast Ep 8: Nils Vinje
How to design your life...
That's pretty bold, isn't it?
While the subject - your life - is big, how to design it isn't.
For a long time I had no idea what I was supposed to do with my life.
I bounced from job to job. As soon as I got into a groove, I'd get bored and look for something else.
Sometimes this was another opportunity within the same company and sometimes it was with another company entirely.
While I had no idea what I was doing, I was determined to not settle.
This went on for 7-8 years after I got my undergrad degree.
Then, my wife and I had a baby - she did ALL of the work and I just tried to show up to support her:).
With this new person in our lives, I decided to go to grad school to improve my opportunities in the future.
I literally decided one Saturday morning sitting at my dining room table, looking at her, looking at our apartment... it was time to make a decision.
For the next 2.5 years, I worked full-time, went to grad school part-time, had a second kid and graduated with a 3.92 GPA.
I don't say that to impress you, I say it to impress me :).
Until my MBA, I struggled in school.
I got by, but it was HARD.
I didn't know why but I got some insight into this when I found out two years ago that two of my kids were diagnosed with Dyslexia and learned that it's hereditary.
After grad school, I felt like I could do anything.
Two years later, I became a certified coach.
During that training, I learned the power of designing your life first and then having everything fit into the design.
From that point looking back, my bouncing around years were the direct result of not making decisions and not designing my life.
As a result, whatever came my way is what I did.
When I committed to getting an MBA, becoming a certified coach, escalating from CSM to Manager to Director to VP, starting a consulting company, moving to Bend, building the life my wife and I designed...
all of that was the result of making decisions.
Now, back to the subject of this post...How to design your life
I told you the "how to" is simple, want to know what it is?
Make a decision.
Here are some words to watch out for that feel like you're making progress but really are a cover up for not making a decision...
- I've been thinking about...
- I'm considering...
- I'm working on...
- I'm going to...
If you are saying any of these in the context of a decision...
Stop and make the decision.
I promise once you have clarity on the decision, everything else will fall into place.
If you'd like to hear more about my story and the last 5 years of running Glide, listen to my episode on the Customer Strategy Podcast.
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Cheers,
Nils
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