How have you deepened your understanding of business research, empathy, and alignment?
My group and I are just starting to finalize our idea for our project. I don’t know a whole lot about business research but I think I am getting it so far. We are reaching out to some local meditation groups and interviewing them for our VP2. It’s exciting to talk to people I wouldn’t normally even think of talking to. I mean they are cool people of course, but they are super out of my regular circle so it’s interesting to learn from new folks!
I like to think of myself as a very empathetic person. Last Monday when we were assigned to walk around campus and interview students, I found myself matching their energy and providing as much empathy for whatever they were describing. Whether it was eating a good lunch or feeling anxious about finishing an assignment, I felt right there with them. This class is exciting because I can see the changes happening in myself already. Stepping out of my comfort zone by interviewing strangers and being forced to get to know them is something I didn’t think I would enjoy as much as I do.
As for alignment, I don’t know if that means something different in this class or not, but I feel like I am on the right track for developing VP2. My group is fun to work with and I am always excited to meet and talk about the next steps. We get along well too, I wasn’t expecting any less but ya know its still a nice thing. We have a lot more work to do and I expect things to start picking up really fast. It will be challenging but I am looking forward to it.
How does IdeaGrit and Major Definite Purpose resonate with you right now?
There’s a lot of words or phrases in this class it’s hard to keep track of ’em all lol. If I am being completely honest I’m not sure it does resonate simply because I don’t know what this means. But I will take a shot at it. I guess IdeaGrit makes me think positively and doesn’t leave any room for feeling bad about “failed” ideas/projects. Things are rarely the end of the world and you must have the grit to get through the hard things. If Major Definite Purpose means what I think it means, then I don’t think I have found mine yet. I don’t think I will find my purpose for a while if ever and that is okay with me. I will try new things anyway and see what sticks. I don’t know if I want one purpose. But if this is in terms of our VP2’s then I think we are on a good track and very close to figuring out our major purpose/narrowing it down.
How might you apply this week’s learnings to your venture?
This week was a little tough for me. My anxiety flared up a lot throughout the week and it made it difficult to focus on things outside of my own headspace. Anxiety is something I am not scared to talk about at all because it is and always will be a large factor in my life. I don’t hate it but of course, it’s annoying. Like this week I had a swollen lymph node and I immediately thought of cancer. Was it cancer? No. Silly brain. I think I learned a lot this week from myself. I learned that not everything is life-threatening so therefore I need to be able to learn to separate myself from the anxiety. It is a part of me but it is not me.
As for what I learned in class, I learned how to conduct better interviews and JTBD statements. This will come in handy when my group and I interview people who aren’t students. I am ready to jump back in after my anxious weekend. Time for a good distraction. 🙂
Also, here is a picture of Stout. One of the best service pups I ever did see. Katy (woman next to Stout) and I did a photoshoot with this fluffy boy because he is gonna represent Brigadoon at an event I believe. Plus we had to show off the new puppy room! I will be sad to leave, so good thing I have lots of photos stocked up.
Sophie!
Cheers for the link haha.
I am glad you are feeling positive about your group environment and excited for what the future of VP2 holds.
I appreciate your perspective in regards to finding your MDP. Some people find it earlier than others, and some people find it much later in life. There should be no stress put on finding one’s purpose, however, one should do as much as they can to explore the world and challenge themselves.
Nathan
Hey Sophie,
There are so many terms and phrases to keep track of in this class I had to re-look at all the prompts. I’m sorry your anxiety flared up this week I’m really glad t wasn’t a swollen lymph node. I hope this week is better for you than last. Cute Puppy!
You made a great point about empathy. If someone was in your quad, I was impressed by how well you were able to interact with random people. I wish I had as much enthusiasm as you for this class, guess the problem is that it’s just an elective for me and I tend to prioritize my main classes first.
Also, After getting my second vaccine dose last week I had a swollen lymph node, which seriously freaked me out for a few days. Now it’s gone and I’m feeling fine lol.
Hello Sophie! I feel you with the empathy (literally haha), and the ways it can affect your interactions with other people. I also have anxiety and often think of worst possible scenarios, and I’m glad you’re learning ways to overcome them and work through them! Also, Stout is adorable! He looks like a big dog but so fluffy and lovable!
Hello, Sophie! Haha, it’s kinda funny how I commented on your TJ4 post before this one but thank you again so much for the link! It is always nice to read someone else’s traction journal post, even if they are from my own group.
But looking back at it, I am impressed at how you well you were able to interact with other people and just match their energy so easily. I feel like I can be so socially awkward compared to you, but you make a great team member, and I am so happy to have you on my team. Also, I’m sorry to hear that your anxiety flared up a bit, but from what I’ve seen, you are a very strong person with tons of character, and I believe that together, we can deal with anything, and we’ll make something great out of ourselves.
Cheers,
Young-Young