Design Your Dream Future Now
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life
by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
Self-Improvement
TL;DR
This book is all about using design thinking to stop feeling stuck and actually build a life you don't want to escape. It teaches you to reframe dysfunctional beliefs that hold you back, build multiple 'Odyssey Plans' (aka backup life scenarios) so you're not putting all your eggs in one basket, and prototype small experiments to test out ideas before you commit. Forget finding 'the one' perfect path; it's about iterating, failing fast, and constantly adjusting your way to a life that actually slaps.
Action Items
Grab a napkin and sketch out one completely bonkers version of your life if money or societal expectations weren't an issue.
Pick one small, low-commitment way to 'try out' an idea you've been curious about this week.
Grab a blank page and a pen. Write down a problem or a dream in the center, and then just free-associate for 5 minutes, drawing lines and bubbles.
Identify one small decision you've been overthinking. Make a choice (even if it feels arbitrary) and take the first tiny step towards it.
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Key Chapter
Chapter - Building Your Compasses
This chapter is all about getting your internal GPS working, which is crucial before you even think about hitting the road. They break down how to figure out your Workview (what work is for, why you do it) and your Lifeview (what gives your life meaning). It's not some deep philosophical quest, but more like checking your emotional oil and tire pressure. If your Workview says 'I need to make bank' but your Lifeview screams 'I wanna chill on a beach and pet dogs,' you're gonna have a bad time. The goal is to align these two bad boys so you're not constantly fighting yourself, leading to a life that feels authentic and less like a performance.
Key Methods and Approaches
Your 'What If' Life Scenarios
(AKA: Odyssey Plans)
Description:
Sketching out 3 wildly different versions of your next 5 years, no holds barred.
Explanation:
Imagine you're playing The Sims, but with your actual life. Instead of just picking one career path and hoping for the best, you're creating three totally different save files. One where you're a corporate sellout, one where you're a digital nomad selling artisanal socks, and one where you're living in a van down by the river. It's about giving yourself permission to explore without commitment, like swiping left on a dating app before you even meet them.
Examples:
Life 1: Corporate drone, climbing the ladder, making bank, buying a house.
Life 2: Freelance artist, living abroad, ramen for dinner, but creatively fulfilled.
Life 3: Starting a non-profit, saving the world, probably broke, but feeling good about it.
Today's Action:
Grab a napkin and sketch out one completely bonkers version of your life if money or societal expectations weren't an issue.
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