Fortunately and Unfortunately

The episode with Francesca Marchegiano (podcast available in italian) was also a moment of study, deepening, and a source of inspiration for me.

One of the key points of the episode was the narration of the self: how can I set the story of my professional and personal journey, for example, during a job interview, in an authentic way without necessarily explaining all the obstacles that happen in life?

It is important to find a balance in presenting two main aspects: the unfortunately and the fortunately.

Too many 'unfortunatelys' can make us seem pessimistic or incapable, while an excess of 'fortunatelys' can make us appear arrogant or disconnected from reality, or raise some doubts about our authenticity.

But what are the 'unfortunatelys' and 'fortunatelys'?

The 'unfortunatelys' and 'fortunatelys' in self-narration refer to events or experiences that can have a positive or negative impact on your personal or professional story. These two elements contribute to shaping your identity and can be included in the narrative to provide a more complete and authentic perspective of your journey. The 'unfortunatelys' are the obstacles, challenges, or difficulties you have faced along the way. These events can include mistakes made, failures, moments of uncertainty, or situations in which you felt tested. Including these 'unfortunatelys' in the narrative can demonstrate your resilience, that is, the ability to overcome obstacles and learn from mistakes. The 'fortunatelys' are the events or circumstances that have had a positive impact on your life, career, or relationships. They can be achievements, opportunities that arose, significant encounters, or moments of personal growth. Including the 'fortunatelys' in your self-narrative can highlight your abilities, accomplishments, and fortunate coincidences that helped you achieve certain goals. Both these aspects contribute to the complexity and completeness of your story. The negative events have contributed to your growth, and the fortunate moments have showcased your abilities, efforts, values, and characteristics. Showing both the difficult and successful moments in your narrative helps you differentiate yourself from others and tell your story.

Draw your own map. One of the most commonly used tools in career coaching is the business canvas model. Among the various texts that talk about it, there is the guiding text from which I learned a lot, "Business Canvas You" by Timothy Clark. It offers many useful and practical exercises to rethink your professional journey. Starting from the life line described by Clark, I have created a small path for you to build your personal map through which you can tell your story to others. The exercise will soon be available online in English.

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Business Model You: A One-Page Method For Reinventing Your Career Timothy Clark,Alexander Osterwalder.