Iterations: From Design To Life Challenges
I’m starting to discover that learning to iterate, adapt and change during my design process has started to influence the way I view all challenges in my life. From finding the right job, condo/apartment, or even a significant other.
I’ve come to realize that in order to find out what we want or what we really need, sometimes we just need to dive head first into the deep end. Embracing change and the unknown can be incredibly scary, but is 100% necessary to grow and learn. There are plenty of fish in the sea, and we need to see and experience a good number of them until we find the one that fits just right.
Push Your Boundaries
The creation process requires iterations upon iterations to find out what functions best for the project and client at hand. Doing plenty of research before starting a project (and even throughout) helps tremendously. Even if you feel the slightest bit unconvinced about a solution, try to pin down the problem and create more iterations until satisfied (though there’s never a true end to iterations). Trying something new or looking at the problem in a different perspective can often create surprising results.
Never Settle
Now that I look back and reminisce, I realized that I’ve carried something forward from every job and contract that I had. Not only physical experience or skills that I’ve learned but actual qualities (big and small) that I embraced about the company lifestyle and culture. It took me plenty of iterations to find the right company and job that suits me best. I refused to settle for mediocre, even though any one of them could have been “it”. I’ve realized that superficial perks of a job lost their value if I don’t truly enjoy the work that I was doing, or if I wasn’t surrounded by likeminded people. The first day I interned at Dynamo, I knew it was where I belonged.
Try, try, try again.
Do you see a pattern in your past relationships? Be gutsy, get out of your comfort zone and pull a Stefan Sagmeister by challenging yourself to do something you don’t usually do. Breaking a habit or a continuous cycle can be difficult, but extremely rewarding. Start a new trend of iterations by being spontaneous or by doing something for the first time.
Being single, I’ve found that putting myself out there (online or in person) and being vulnerable to the unknown can be both exhilarating and nerve-racking. I always keep in mind that by adding experiences and iterations to my process, I’m much closer to figuring out what I need (and not necessarily what I want) in my life.
The Journey Is The Destination
Just like all iteration processes, house hunting can be exhausting. I recently went through the process of finding my first home, and I’ve realized that after every house that I saw online and every visit that I made, I felt like I was one step closer to finding “the one”. Timing is a huge factor, which is obviously out of our control but I trust that things will fall into place when the time is right. Keeping an open mind during the process is key, even though it can be mighty difficult and overwhelming at times.
Onward & Upward
Yes, sometimes you get lucky and win on your first try. Even if that is the case, doing iterations might help take it to the next level, or it might even just clarify that one of your previous iterations was the right choice or direction. Of course, when you move between iterations in real life, keep in mind that there are no time machines. Sometimes things are in the past for a reason, for you not to return to them and to stay focused on bigger and better things.
And to finish off this blog post, some wise words from Mr. Steve Jobs himself. “Stay hungry, stay foolish,” my friends.
