Using storytelling in Self Management 

 Challenge 

 I quit my job and high - flying career ( Vice - President on the Executive Committee of a 

 listed company ) a few months ago to follow my husband to a new country and to 

 spend more time with my kids . Whilst this was a rational decision that made a lot of 

 sense for the entire family , I was struggling with the definition of my new self . 

 For example : When I opened a bank account in the new country and the clerk asked 

 me what my occupation was , I tried to explain in lengthy words what I felt I was : 

 “ An ex - director , on career break , now studying online , looking for ‘ quality ’ part - time or 

 project opportunities … ” . The clerk listened politely and then ticked the box 

 “ homemaker ” on the application form in front of her . I was upset . 

 I did not define myself as a homemaker and this was not how I spend my day . I had 

 been a professional and still felt like a professional , I was engaging in continuing 

 training and education ( e.g. the design thinking course ! ) , volunteering at a business 

 school and wondering when and how to go back to work . I wanted a professional 

 challenge - but not another corporate role with all its inflexibility and long hours . Few 

 people had the patience to listen . 

 What made things worse : Having just arrived in a new country , I met many new 

 people and every time the same : When somebody asked who I was and what I did , I 

 felt uncomfortable and unable to explain it in a few simple words . 

 Selection : 

 I realized I had a problem . I was unsure about my future professional life but had to 

 introduce and present myself almost daily . The old narrative ( “ I am a Vice President 

 on the Executive Committee of XYZ ” ) did not work anymore and the replacement “ I 

 used to be a Vice President on the Executive Committee of XYZ ” was pathetic . 

 What I needed was a new story about me – a story that connected me with new self 

 and with my audience , a story that did not look back but was forward looking , 

 motivating for me and intriguing for others . 

 No other tool would have been better – only stories can convey the emotions , values 

 and characteristics of a person , with a few simple lines . 

 Application : 

 I started by trying to understand what my current reality was . 

 - I talked to friends who looked from the outside and saw a lot of activity and trials 

 since I had arrived in the new country : supporting the board of the local school , ad 

 hoc training support , business development for a friend , organizing career events , etc 

 - I tried to understand my emotions ( misplaced , misunderstood , worthless , … ) 

 - I looked for role models – parents with kids who had managed to build a career 

 outside the constraints of corporate life . 

 - I discussed with my husband and kids how much work I could actually do and how 

 they could help 

 - I created a journal to understand how I spend my day 

 I soon realized that I was actively searching , experimenting and exploring how to 

 build my new professional life in this country . I knew what I wanted : Senior role(s ) 

 and responsibilities that would allow me to be home when the kids come from school . 

 I needed flexibility during holidays . There was not really a role model for this . And I 

 did not yet know the solution to my problem . But I had found my cause : I was a 

 successful career woman with kids , skills and experience   – and I would not resign to 

 become a homemaker but experiment and find a way to build a flexible portfolio 

 career AND spend time with my kids . 

 Once I knew who I was and what I wanted to be , it was easy to create a short story . 

 When I now meet a new person , I confidently introduce myself with the following 3 

 sentences : 

 “ I am a career explorer . I experiment with a portfolio career , which means I hold a few 

 different roles in business development and professional training . The objective is to 

 balance time for career and kids ” . 

 My mini - story makes my complicated , experimental situation accessible , relatable 

 and simple to people I meet . This story would still not help me with the bank clerk , but 

 it is right for the audience that I care about : new colleagues , parents of my kids ’ 

 friends , etc 

 Insight & Approach : 

 This assignment is actually the first time that I have thought about design thinking in 

 the context of personal development . But it works just as well as in business ! 

 Life is very complex these days with many different demands and constraints . 

 Designing your optimal life is a wonderful object for design thinking ! And story telling 

 plays a prominent part . Stories connect to people- others people or yourself . Stories 

 help the self to be motivated and capture the larger purpose . Inspired by this 

 assignment , I will use storytelling more often and more consciously for professional 

 and personal development in the future . 

 Visualization is another tool that would lend itself perfectly to design thinking for 

 personal development . I actually did a collage of my dream life with a life coach many 

 years ago . It still hangs at my bedroom door , it is still valid and I remember almost 

 every single detail of it ! It is a powerful force in giving direction : “ Dream it , design , do 

 it ” ! 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: 
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Using storytelling in Self Management 

 Challenge 

 I quit my job and high - flying career ( Vice - President on the Executive Committee of a 

 listed company ) a few months ago to follow my husband to a new country and to 

 spend more time with my kids . Whilst this was a rational decision that made a lot of 

 sense for the entire family , I was struggling with the definition of my new self . 

 For example : When I opened a bank account in the new country and the clerk asked 

 me what my occupation was , I tried to explain in lengthy words what I felt I was : 

 “ An ex - director , on career break , now studying online , looking for ‘ quality ’ part - time or 

 project opportunities … ” . The clerk listened politely and then ticked the box 

 “ homemaker ” on the application form in front of her . I was upset . 

 I did not define myself as a homemaker and this was not how I spend my day . I had 

 been a professional and still felt like a professional , I was engaging in continuing 

 training and education ( e.g. the design thinking course ! ) , volunteering at a business 

 school and wondering when and how to go back to work . I wanted a professional 

 challenge - but not another corporate role with all its inflexibility and long hours . Few 

 people had the patience to listen . 

 What made things worse : Having just arrived in a new country , I met many new 

 people and every time the same : When somebody asked who I was and what I did , I 

 felt uncomfortable and unable to explain it in a few simple words . 

 Selection : 

 I realized I had a problem . I was unsure about my future professional life but had to 

 introduce and present myself almost daily . The old narrative ( “ I am a Vice President 

 on the Executive Committee of XYZ ” ) did not work anymore and the replacement “ I 

 used to be a Vice President on the Executive Committee of XYZ ” was pathetic . 

 What I needed was a new story about me – a story that connected me with new self 

 and with my audience , a story that did not look back but was forward looking , 

 motivating for me and intriguing for others . 

 No other tool would have been better – only stories can convey the emotions , values 

 and characteristics of a person , with a few simple lines . 

 Application : 

 I started by trying to understand what my current reality was . 

 - I talked to friends who looked from the outside and saw a lot of activity and trials 

 since I had arrived in the new country : supporting the board of the local school , ad 

 hoc training support , business development for a friend , organizing career events , etc 

 - I tried to understand my emotions ( misplaced , misunderstood , worthless , … ) 

 - I looked for role models – parents with kids who had managed to build a career 

 outside the constraints of corporate life . 

 - I discussed with my husband and kids how much work I could actually do and how 

 they could help 

 - I created a journal to understand how I spend my day 

 I soon realized that I was actively searching , experimenting and exploring how to 

 build my new professional life in this country . I knew what I wanted : Senior role(s ) 

 and responsibilities that would allow me to be home when the kids come from school . 

 I needed flexibility during holidays . There was not really a role model for this . And I 

 did not yet know the solution to my problem . But I had found my cause : I was a 

 successful career woman with kids , skills and experience   – and I would not resign to 

 become a homemaker but experiment and find a way to build a flexible portfolio 

 career AND spend time with my kids . 

 Once I knew who I was and what I wanted to be , it was easy to create a short story . 

 When I now meet a new person , I confidently introduce myself with the following 3 

 sentences : 

 “ I am a career explorer . I experiment with a portfolio career , which means I hold a few 

 different roles in business development and professional training . The objective is to 

 balance time for career and kids ” . 

 My mini - story makes my complicated , experimental situation accessible , relatable 

 and simple to people I meet . This story would still not help me with the bank clerk , but 

 it is right for the audience that I care about : new colleagues , parents of my kids ’ 

 friends , etc 

 Insight & Approach : 

 This assignment is actually the first time that I have thought about design thinking in 

 the context of personal development . But it works just as well as in business ! 

 Life is very complex these days with many different demands and constraints . 

 Designing your optimal life is a wonderful object for design thinking ! And story telling 

 plays a prominent part . Stories connect to people- others people or yourself . Stories 

 help the self to be motivated and capture the larger purpose . Inspired by this 

 assignment , I will use storytelling more often and more consciously for professional 

 and personal development in the future . 

 Visualization is another tool that would lend itself perfectly to design thinking for 

 personal development . I actually did a collage of my dream life with a life coach many 

 years ago . It still hangs at my bedroom door , it is still valid and I remember almost 

 every single detail of it ! It is a powerful force in giving direction : “ Dream it , design , do 

 it ” !
### Output: 