I got wait-listed at Harvard and Stanford for business school…
…and you know what happened?
The best opportunity of my career, a life-changing experience.
Right now, there are students and parents wracked with anxiety over the "will they or won't they" for college applications. I know I was, and I bet my mom was too. :)
But looking back, what I wanted was to learn, but I could only see one path.
But the pause of being waitlisted, made me consider another route, joining a start-up.
Instead of enrolling to get my MBA, I joined the founding team of a startup. I spent the next decade learning business and life lessons that aren't taught in a classroom.
For those who might not be getting the news they hoped for, remember there is always more than one way to achieve what you want. Focus on figuring out what you really want and you'll find more than one way to get there.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:7152391368676425728/
I showed my boyfriend an Excel spreadsheet of our life together. And he didn't run for the door.
A bit over the top, yes. Too personal, no. There is a lot to learn from this story, especially when it comes to business.
We knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. (OUR VISION)
We both valued continuing our education, pursuing financial success, being geographically together, and eventually starting a family. (OUR CORE VALUES)
But we were overwhelmed by how many different paths our lives could take, constantly pestered by well-meaning family on what the plan was, not feeling like we could aggressively pursue our goals with these unknowns.
So I sat down and mapped out all the paths and different ways it might go, complete with proposals, promotions and babies!
Did it work out that way? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
So why I am still glad I did it?
It helped me focus on my long-term plan and what was really important, so when all the changes happened, I had a guide to make my decisions. (STRATEGY)