Once in a while, life throws us a curveball that leaves us feeling lost and unsure of our purpose. It was in one of these moments of personal and professional uncertainty that I stumbled upon a transformative book, “Design your life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.
Little did I know that the words and exercises in that little book would give me a fundamentally deeper understanding of what brought me joy and ultimately give me the confidence to go back to university to finish a degree I started more than 25 years ago.
In this blog post, I aim to share with you the profound insights from this book and how they can help you navigate the complexities and changes that life throws your way.
What are the Key Principles of Design
The key principles of design thinking, at their core, focus on envisioning and crafting something which has been built to optimize a specific function. Design thinking is usually applied to products and services. Burnett and Evans, both from Stanford University’s Design Program, propose that the same design thinking responsible for incredible technology, products, and spaces can be used to design and build your life, arguably the most important design project of all
The key elements of design thinking include
Start Where You Are
The first step to designing your life is to take stock of where you currently are. Before you can embark on any journey, you need to know your starting point. This involves a comprehensive self-assessment, considering aspects like your skills, passions, health, and relationships.
For instance, if you’re an excellent communicator, passionate about environmental issues, and have strong relationships in your community, these are elements you might leverage to design your life.
Build a Compass
Burnett and Evans suggest building a compass to guide you. This compass consists of your life view (what you believe about life) and your work view (your beliefs about work). The intersection of these two views forms your purpose.
Building a compass requires introspection. Your ‘life view’ is your fundamental belief about what gives life meaning. For example, you might believe that life is about making a positive impact on others. Your ‘work view’ is your belief about work’s purpose and value. You might believe, for instance, that work should be a platform for solving critical problems.
Aligning your life view and work view can guide you towards a career that brings fulfillment and purpose.
Wayfinding
Wayfinding is the process of determining where you’re going based on where you currently are. It involves making small steps towards your goals and constantly learning and adapting from the journey. It’s about navigating through life, not with a map, but with a compass pointing towards your true north.
Wayfinding is an iterative process of figuring out your next steps. It’s like navigating through a city without a map; you might not know the exact route, but you keep moving, learning, and adjusting your path.
For example, if you’re interested in environmental advocacy, you might start by volunteering for a local non-profit. The experience could then help you decide your next steps – perhaps further studies in environmental science, or a full-time job in advocacy.
Prototyping
Prototyping involves creating small, low-stakes experiences to test possible life paths. For instance, if you’re considering a career change to graphic design, before making a significant investment in education or leaving your current job, you could do a short online course or a part-time internship to see if it matches your expectations.
This ‘prototype’ allows you to explore a potential path with minimal risk. Prototyping helps you to fail quickly, learn faster, and move closer to a life design that fits.
Choosing Well
Burnett and Evans suggest that instead of seeking a perfect choice, we should aim for choices that are ‘good enough’ and align with our personal compass. For instance, if you’re choosing between jobs, rather than getting paralyzed trying to find the ‘perfect’ job, consider which options sufficiently meet your needs and align with your work view and life view.
Embrace Failure
Failure is a natural part of the process. It’s not something to be feared but embraced. In the design world, failures are seen as opportunities to learn, iterate, and improve. Similarly, in life, we can learn from our failures and use them as stepping stones towards a better life design.
For example, if your online graphic design course doesn’t excite you as much as you thought, instead of viewing it as wasted time, you can see it as valuable insight steering you away from a possibly unfulfilling career path.
Creating Energy
Designing your life is not just about achieving goals, but also about creating a life that energizes you. The idea is to create a life that not only looks good on paper but also feels good in real life – ensuring you have fulfilling work, nurturing relationships, good health, and time for play. For instance, even if you have a successful career, if you’re neglecting your health or personal relationships, it might be time to redesign those aspects of your life.
Change is not a “One-and Done”
Design thinking is an ongoing process and not a one-time exercise. As your life evolves, so will your goals and desires. It’s essential to continue empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing for continuous growth and improvement.
In addition to these core principles, there are also various tools and techniques you can use to aid in your life design process. For example, journaling can help you reflect on your thoughts and emotions, while mindfulness practices can assist in self-discovery and understanding. Seeking guidance from a mentor or coach can provide valuable insights and support.
Ultimately, using design thinking to design your life empowers you to take an active role in shaping your own future. It allows you to approach your life with intention and purpose, rather than simply letting things happen to you.
How i-ADAPT can help
As you navigate the inflection points in your life, remember you don’t have to go it alone. Whether you’re navigating a career transition, seeking balance in your life, or exploring new paths, support can make all the difference.
At i-Adapt, we specialize in helping individuals embrace change and take proactive steps towards designing a life they love. We invite you to reach out for a complimentary introductory consultation. Our coaches are ready to provide guidance, tools, and strategies tailored to your unique situation and goals.
Don’t leave your life to chance. Take control and start designing your life today with i-Adapt. Let’s explore together how coaching could be your catalyst for change and growth.
