This Month in Life Design: Let Your Imagination Guide You
Over the past five years, we have been on an incredible journey here at The Johns Hopkins University, transforming “career services” into a holistic Life Design approach, ensuring every student on campus is actively supported throughout their journey. If you had asked me back then how we planned to merge best practices in career readiness with life design, I’d have calmly responded:
- Try various approaches
- Quickly let go of what doesn’t work, and
- 10x the strategies that do.
Ask our staff throughout the years, and you’ll have heard a more dynamic perspective:
- Set ambitious goals
- Embrace ambiguity in daily tasks, and
- Say “Yes” to every new idea and opportunity.
And neither of these vantage points is wrong!
(early sketch of engagement and programming landscape & ideas – Dec 2019)
As it turns out, practicing what we preach and embracing the core tenets of design thinking has been a key element in our journey to establishing Life Design here at Johns Hopkins. Nothing exemplifies this more than leaning into one of our four pillars of life design, “Imagine Possible Lives.”
As educators, we encourage students to envision diverse life paths, helping them identify gaps in their knowledge and pursue the insights they need. This exploration teaches them which pathways resonate with their identities, values, and skills and when to pivot or shelve a path due to misalignment with personal interests and desires.
As designers, it has been ingrained in our culture to envision best-case scenarios, imagine as many ways as possible to get there, and take action quickly. This journey is not always easy and is certainly filled with challenges. We could ask, “What if it doesn’t work?” But I prefer we ponder, “What if it does?”
Both success and adversity offer valuable lessons, reinforcing why we ask our students, “What else could you do with this Hopkins experience?” This month, our Life Design Educators and staff will share their thoughts, experiences, and unique perspectives on the Life Design approach and imagining what is possible. As you return throughout August, I hope you’ll find actionable steps you can implement to design a more fulfilling life , starting with an easy framework to imagine a possible future life and reflect on what you like, what you don’t and some questions you might need to answer to gain more clarity.
Whether you’re a member of the Johns Hopkins community or a welcomed visitor passing through, let your imagination guide you. Dive into our articles, join events, dream big, and please share your stories (I’m here at matthewgolden@jhu.edu) because we are eager to hear about your adventures in life design.
By imagining endless possibilities, we discover fulfilling paths, rewarding experiences, and lifelong connections we would never have known existed. Let’s embark on this journey together—exploring, dreaming, and creating lives that are not merely lived, but truly designed.
-Matthew Golden
Assistant Vice Provost
Undergraduate & Masters Life Design
