Here are the titbits of This Past Week.
If I had to boil down last seven days, it would all come down to planning and making better choices. Positive change happens when think you about what you truly want, think about what you can do better before you decide to quit and also, let your mind wonder every now and then. It’s the wondering of the mind that allows you step out of the ordinary and come up with creative solutions.
How To Be More Intentional About Your Life
Outline your life on a single page by using seven strategic questions normally used by strategy consultants at the start of every business project. Here are the questions:
- How do I define a great life?
- What is my life purpose?
- What is my life vision?
- How do I asses my life portfolio (family, work, health etc)?
- What can I learn from others who live the life that I want?
- What life choices can I make?
- How can I sustain my life changes?
Let the answers you jot down reflect in your daily choices.
A Quick Tool for A Great Life
To quickly and effectively assess your current life satisfaction try a scientific framework developed by Professor’s Martin Seligman called PERMAV: P – positive emotion; E – engagement; R – relationships; M – meaning; A – achievement; V – vitality. Which of these are the highest for you, which of you these need more attention?
Your Life, The Odysseys Trip
Another tool on how to design your life, especially your career, comes from Stanford Design Program. More than thousands of student are taught how to design their life, and it’s the one class they can’t fail. To start create three different versions of your life for the next five years: the expected path, the alternative path and the wild card path. This approach to life helps you realise there isn’t just one right choice to live a life, reduces fear of failure, increases creativity and aligns with your interests and strengths.
You can download a working template directly here.
When to Disrupt Yourself, Your Career
When career growth and learning matter to you but you aren’t learning anymore it’s time to do something about it. If this happens in an organisation you love and the boss that you admire figure out a) what could your next job be and b) who could replace you in your old role. Be proactive. The worst thing you can do is do nothing, hope nobody notices you that you hit plateau, or hope your boss creates a new role for you.
The Sunk Cost Is A Real Cost
The standard view on sunk cost is to ‘get over’ your lost investment and move on. Leave the job that isn’t working out. Get out of the relationship. But because the sunk cost is a real cost (nonetheless), ask yourself: What evidence do I need to build to save this job or to save this relationship?
Boredom, Your Access to Meaning
Boredom is healthy and absolutely necessary for living a meaningful life. When you are not occupied cognitively your thinking switches over to the part of your brain called the default mode network. This is the time – an opportunity for your brain to think about big questions such as meaning of life. Even if uncomfortable it’s the only way to find out what’s important to you. And, it’s absolutely ok and healthy not to fill every minute of your day with something to do.
‘The Mind Has To Travel’
Diana Vreeland, a famous American Fashion editor, had a philosophy that the eye must actively explore, seek, and travel to find beauty, inspiration and in her case – fashion. When habituation kicks in, you lose a sense of wonder. To get out of the rut of every day lives, you have to imagine what’s possible beyond the ordinary. Travel, take on new skills, talk to people out of your comfort zone.
What has changed for you this past week?
Write to welcome@standoutjane.com and share the changes and aspirations from your own life and work.
Bon Weekend.
Image: Image: Alamy, President & CEO Stripes Beauty Cara Kamenev speaks at the 2025 Forbes Healthcare Summit at Murphy Alumni Hall, New York, United States. 04th Dec, 2025.