Storytelling: Transition of My Life through Design Thinking

Challenge:

Not too long ago, I went through a period of massive change. I got a long-term on-site project in a new  country. I had never gone out of my country during my 10 years of experience. I was quite skeptical initially  to accept this opportunity but thought it will bring some new learning and experience, so I decided to  pursue this new opportunity.

Initially, I came here without my family. These were changes I experienced while living in a new city with  few friends and no family in the area to lean on. I became over-stressed. I quickly found myself feeling like  I was not excelling at the things that mattered most to me. I started to rationalize out important aspects  of my life. I started feeling as if I was losing myself. I was going through life exhausted and feeling fueled  only by fumes. The lack of sleep combined with excess stress quickly started to take a toll on my physical  & mental health. I was not happy and my body told me the same.

I knew that I urgently needed to make a change.

Selection:

I was aware that I had to make an immediate change. I began with intense evaluation of my life to  understand why I was feeling such loss of control. I was already feeling sorry for myself, which seemed  like a great start. However, I was still not able to understand why I was feeling that way.

I started a personal journal to build deeper insights into my own behavior and state-of-being. While I felt  I already knew who I was and what was important to me, I found that journaling helped to surface insights  and themes that I was not acutely aware of until they were painfully obvious on a sheet of paper. I put no  restrictions on my writing; I wrote down any thought or feeling that came to mind without editing.

Application:

My journal surfaced a number of needs. The need for the support of family & close friends. The need for  rest and taking care of my health. The need to let go of long-lasting burdens. The need to live a life of  courage and without fear. The need to dream and push myself.

I began brainstorming ideas as to how I might address each challenge. I listed each theme at the top of  its own sheet of paper and tried to generate as many different ideas for potential solutions as I could. I  developed a routine to prepare me to tackle the day.

My routine provided me guidance for simplifying my life including: 1. Only one cup of coffee per day in  the morning only 2. Do exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes 3. Do meditation before going to bed 4.  Sleep for at least 8 hours.

Insights:

I actually started feeling better and more in control even after following my routine. It helped me to  release the tension in my mind and understand what was going on in my head. I was amazed with how  quickly I saw results after implementing my prototype.

Design thinking helped me regain control of my life.

Approach:

Design Thinking has helped me to design a better life for myself. I believe design thinking have helped  me to be a better person.

Design thinking is a methodology for solving problems that focuses on asking questions and listening,  with empathy, to the needs of individuals and groups.

Storytelling is an “essential human activity” for sharing experiences, explaining values, and deciding on  solutions through vivid verbal and visual accounts.

