Fulfilling and Meaningful Life Planning Techniques
Jul 21, 2024
Figuring Out Life's Purpose
Introduction
Struggling with finding passion and meaningful work
Want to enjoy work, find it fulfilling, and help people
Contemplating the role of medicine in life plan
Three Useful Exercises
1. The Gravestone Technique
Think about what you want written on your gravestone
Examples: Good dad, good husband, inspirational teacher
Realized teaching is a meaningful part of life
Consider what different people might say at your funeral
Close friends, family, colleagues, strangers
Focus on character, relationships, and impact
Consider what you want written on your Wikipedia page
Focus on achievements and world impact
Recommended reading: "How Will You Measure Your Life" by Clayton Christensen
2. The Odyssey Plan
From the book "Designing Your Life" by Stanford authors
Three scenarios of life five years from now:
Continuing the current path
Taking an entirely different path
If money and societal expectations didn't matter
Writing out detailed day-in-the-life scenarios
Gained clarity on personal dissatisfaction with the current path
Importance of challenging and interesting work
Recommending periodic review and writing for clarity
3. The Ideal Ordinary Week
Idea from Simon Severino, business coach at Strategy Sprints
Fast forward two years and design an ideal ordinary week on your calendar
Example of ideal week activities:
Wake up at 8 AM, morning exercise, team meetings, work in the emergency department, gaming nights, board games, meals with friends, deep work, practicing music, art class, reading, learning
Consider what stops you from achieving the ideal week now
Reflect on barriers and make changes to move towards the ideal calendar
Prompting action to align current life closer to the ideal vision
Conclusion
No definitive answers, but exercises provide clarity
Encouragement to try techniques for directional guidance and reflection
Additional resources: Video on personal journey, philosophical thoughts about meaning and fulfillment