I once read that the weather reflects the state of the soul.
I’ve been living in Lausanne for a little over a month now, and emotionally, I’ve experienced all its climatic moods. There are sunny days, the kind where you want to take on the world: read all the articles for class, attend every social event, wake up early, go to bed late; basically, you say yes to everything.
Then come the gray, rainy days with biting winds, when you feel all the emotional turbulence. You wonder if you’re doing well, if you’re learning enough. You look back and realize more than a month has passed and there’s still so much you haven’t done. You get overwhelmed, you judge yourself; you become your own worst enemy.
There are also those days that are neither sunny nor rainy; they just go by unnoticed, and that’s how you feel too: another day, another class, more tasks to do. You just hope tomorrow will be a better day.
This process quickly confronts you with something deeper than the academic challenge: learning to constantly decide how to use your time, energy, and attention.
Balancing my schedule with the academic workload, the FOMO of missing social events, the job search, personal time to relax and process everything I’m experiencing, and even space to sit with my emotions has been a real challenge.
This is not just any MBA program; it has a strong personal development component, and it’s necessary to carve out time to let your emotions, learning, and goals settle.
Honestly, I’ve spent a month trying different methodologies and still haven’t settled on one. While I try to keep a schedule, I’ve had to learn to be flexible, because spontaneity also needs to fit in. It’s something I’m still working on. Being flexible, taking it easy, embracing the process.
If you try to do everything, you end up doing nothing. It’s important to give direction and purpose to your actions, learn to prioritize yourself, and understand that you’re not the only one making sacrifices.
The list is long, and I’ve been learning to navigate it. Some days I decide not to read the texts assigned for the next class; other days I sleep less because I want to go out with friends. Sometimes I’ve skipped plans because I needed time for myself. And what I’ve tried to protect most is my exercise routine.
It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible either. This is a year to give yourself the luxury of experimenting. I feel like I’m in a lab where I can try out different ways of living and see what works best for me. As our professor Arnaud taught us, making strategic decisions is a transversal skill, in the program and in life.
Through this process, I’ve learned that we can build on what’s already been done and that not everything has to be new. Many of my assignments have grown from work in other classes or previous projects; I’ve even revisited things from past studies. The beautiful thing is seeing how I’ve evolved and improved what I already had, and how classes as different as leadership, strategic decision-making, and my hobbies like health and nutrition all interconnect.
It’s incredible how something you once thought was good can become something better, and above all, how far you can push yourself when you explore without fear. In this program, everything is welcome. Of course, there are rules, and they’re very clear. But I’ve felt the freedom to be myself and leave my mark on my work. I’ve been able to unleash my creativity, not be limited by what I don’t know, and even use artificial intelligence to support my assignments.
A few weeks ago, we were given devices to monitor stress and recovery levels throughout the day. It’s been fascinating to see which situations push me to the limit and which help me recharge. I keep experimenting on myself: meditating at different times, taking walks around the lake, going out for drinks with friends, sleeping a lot or a little, and learning about myself along the way.
This opportunity feels incredibly enriching because it allows me, with more insight, to decide what to prioritize, how to recharge my energy faster, and understand the dynamics of a completely new environment.
This year is a wonderful opportunity to truly do whatever you want. And for me, that means learning about myself in order to serve society with more awareness, focus, and purpose.
