Final reflections on completing the whole OP process
What went well?
It was the most strategic OP production process I had so far. I need to thank for the great Dragon Dreaming process which helped me to go goal-oriented through the LIPD process.
With the help of Dragon Dreaming and especially the "Karrabirdt" (tool) I worked on my exercises and to-does for the LIPD more effectively. I hardly tried to integrate all the feedback I received in my last OPs and I think that was to a big part successful. In the dreaming phase of the LIPD I clearly articulated my dreams for my projects, the LIPD and the overall process. In the end where I evaluated my dreams I detected that I met a large part of my dreams. What a good feeling! And in addition I want to say that I had a really fast process to upload everything on Mahara and especially with writing the Core Report.
What was challenging?
The uncertainty of life was the most challenging during this OP production process. I did just not know how I can even plan my year. No idea, where to stay, what to do and on what to focus...Every week I had different ideas and inspirations for possible projects, journeys, places, events...And I really did not know in which area I want to gain more professional skills. With this basis I was not able to plan anything and that was one of the reasons why I felt stuck for weeks and was a little demotivated. Then, probably to the right time, my boyfriend and me found out, that I am pregnant. For some other weeks I just made myself used to be in nine month a mother and I was very busy with these new "baby-thoughts". Steadily but slowly we were more clear about our next steps and I started to work more strategic again. Still, the decision about what I want to learn and which projects I want to design kept challenging. And in general it is not such a good feeling to need five months to produce a LIPD. Nevertheless I know that I needed the time and to submit the LIPD in June (instead of February) is now okay.
What to do differently the next time?
I would use the Design Process still more effectively, so that it supports my process even better. I want to grow as a designer and consciously work on a task, so that I get more time effective and reduce time e.g. on the computer. Next time I also want to design the Mahara pages more strategically in content but also in its Layout.
I also need to learn to write regular journals which document my un/learnings constantly.
Commentary on un/learnings
OP-process un/learnings
- Design Process
Old pattern: I rarely used a Design process from the beginning of the project and if I used a process I did not spend too much time with researching and preparing the project work. I started with the tasks that came into my mind and without being finished I started a new one.
New pattern: Using Dragon Dreaming as an holistic planning tool made me feel to be strategic and on track. I always had an overview of the tasks I want to do and the tasks I already did. Confusion about what tasks to work on never came up and I always finished the tasks I begun with (only then I allowed myself to go to the next task)
- Documents
Old pattern: Without a clear strategy I just wrote up texts in different documents and it took a lot of time to upload everything on Mahara
- New pattern: I have a clear project material. When I upload everything on Mahara I write the texts directly in the textboxes and insert links to the more detailed documents. That saves a lot time!
Project un/learnings
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Learning Areas
Old thought: "I need to decide myself for some learning areas and build deep professionalism in all of them at the same time"
New thought: " I want to start to build professionalism in one learning area for a specific time, work concentrated and focused with clear goals and steps."In general: I learned more about my personal interests and found a focus for this year
Commentary on un/learnings
Pathway un/learnings
- Structure of the day
Old structure: I did not structure my day consciously at all!
New structure: I structures my days with the help of the books " The monk who sold his ferrari" and Anastasyia (morning routine, working time, eating time, relaxing time)
- Time
Old attitude: "I want to get my work done as fast as possible"
New attitude: "Sometime things just need time! Don't feel bad about needing longer time! It always has a reason."
- Complexity
Old pattern: Worked on complex tasks without a structure
New pattern: Structure complexity in detail and go step by step!
Personal un/learnings
I am still challenged with the open structure of GaiaU of not having a specific curriculum or something similar. But I feel that I start to unlearn the old school thinking I was taught all my life. Rather I am starting to thing more in projects. But still it is quite helpful for me to write my own curriculum and define for myself tasks. Before I felt a little unsafe to create project by myself because I did not know what and how. In my subconscious it was sometimes very stressful of not knowing what actually to do, which lead to over-thinking and theorizing myself. Therefore the outcomes of my projects were mostly not satisfying for me. Now I think I am on a good way to do my project work more satisfying!
Journal entries LIPD
Workflow
After I submitted OP5 of my first Action Learning Cycle I felt very motivated to learn from my first year and apply all new insights and ideas directly in my LIPD. It was also a great help that I read in the beginning of the OP production process the book "The monk who sold his ferrari" and "Anastasia". Both book inspired me to "just do it" in a different way. With this foundation I started to look for an appropriate Design process for my LIPD and decided to use Dragon Dreaming this time. I researched about this Process and started to implement it for my LIPD. It was amazing how fast it showed success and how I was able to structure and organize my exercises and every-day life. I applied various of methods from the books I read and they helped to design and develop a holistic every-day life. This first phase was from the beginning of February till almost the end of February. Then in the end of February my workflow decreased a lot and I lost some self-discipline, for example by not planning the next day or not doing the methods described in the books. This phase turned into a life changing event I unconsciously already expected! In the beginning of March my boyfriend and me found out that I am pregnant and that I will give birth to a child in the beginning of November. Yes!! Amazing ! I was full of joy and the day busy with thinking about our child and thinking about all necessary changes we need to do also in our future planning's. The next two weeks went very fast and I needed them to get familiar with such an amazing and great thought!
Now after the two weeks of finding ourselves everything feels like a big transition. But honestly I am not afraid or have any anger, fear or depression it just feels great! There is more a basic trust that I/we will manage everything, from the birth to find a home place to managing my GaiaU studies! It feels that now is just the right time for a child and for studying! Today is March 20th and I still have no idea how I will manage my projects... but I start to design my every-day life again! To work every day for GaiaU , read about pregnancy and meditate to get in contact with our baby. Yes, a big transition starts! Thank you!
22.03
I feel that it is really challenging to plan and design my projects for this ALC. It is difficult for me to concretely define what I want to learn, draw connections and design applicable projects. I feel a bit lost where to start and how to analyze and creatively design a plan. I am still not really clear about my learning areas I want to focus on. How can I combine my interests that they form an integral project? How do I know what skills I want to build (I know to less)? How can I implement my projects while travelling? How can I share my project outcomes with an wider area? How to do high quality work?
24.05
Again we need to figure out our future… We visited a Tiny House for sale and thought about buying it. But first we needed to clarify if there is a pitch on the farm where we are staying right now for the next year. During the conversation with the family we found out that it probably will not be possible…
And again all possibilities were open for us...will we stay on this place? Where can we life with our child? Should we just go to Italy again? Stay here and buy a Tiny house and rent a pitch on a camping area for the first time?
Very challenging questions! I just wished to know where to go and what to do! If we want a Tiny House than we needed to decide within the next week, otherwise it will not be ready till the birth.
Now our plan after I called with my family and get clear about possibilities: We will buy a Tiny House (we need to decide how the rooms should look like → draw construction plans) and give birth to our child next to Freiburg. We will look for a pitch on a farm or on the camping area and stay there till March 2018. This summer we will visit more projects (Italy, Austrich) and hopefully we find a place where we can stay after March 2018 with our child.
Okay, now O need to get done my LIPD and we need to write construction plans for our Tiny House!