Sarah's Diary: Living a Life  of Innovation

Sarah’s diary is an eye opening piece that left me not only inspired but motivated. The stories left me thinking for days at a time and taught me to utilize myself to observe the world around me.  Not only does this piece generate amazing insights about past innovators, but great advice for future innovators. It’s a piece that will change your life if you allow it to.

I had the privilege of being one of the first students to learn from Sarah’s Diary. I found it to be a wonderfully insightful learning experience focused on innovation and personal growth that exercised my social IQ. Even as an engineering student, I realized my understanding of what it meant to be innovative was misguided. I had mistaken innovation for inventiveness.  I learned that being innovative does not require inventing a flashy new product or reinventing the wheel. Instead, innovation can present itself in many forms and is unique to each person. It is about thinking outside the box, challenging the status quo, and adapting to your circumstances.  This holds true whether on a farm in the 1800s or on a newly built factory floor in 2026. I especially appreciated how the course pushed me to think differently and reevaluate my perspective on innovation, as well as how I can learn from people who see the world differently than I do. I apply what I learned from this course every day as a leader today.

I thought the Sarah's Diary story was a great opportunity to reflect on where the spirit of innovation can originate, and how that spirit can be cultivated through many different experiences and intellectual exercises. It was interesting to learn how a variety of character traits can influence innovation, and showed that anyone can become an innovator, regardless of age, background, or experience. Overall, the story was very insightful, and has since encouraged me to be more intentional about finding better ways to create, think, and solve problems in my everyday life.