We might spend months, if not years, designing our dream home, dream holiday or dream wedding. We usually give more than a few minutes thought to designing our outfit each day, or our menu for the week. So how much time do we spend designing our lives?
Maybe the problem is that it’s impossible to ‘design’ your life. Because there are too many moving parts and too many unknowns that can’t be controlled. Or because your dream life is simply unattainable.
Working out what you really want
When I was younger I told my Pop that my dream was to travel in private planes, relax on my own island, attend exotic parties wearing fabulous dresses and jewellery, work in different locations and experience diverse cultures from across the globe. He smiled indulgently. OK, so that’s not exactly what my life is like now. But I am consciously designing a full and fulfilling life, one that combines needs and desires.
What does that look like for me?
I don’t have too many fixed goals but rather broad themes that I’m exploring at any given stage in my life – whether that’s professional development, personal growth, or family and relationships.
I have a lot of control over what I choose to do and when it happens, and I have a supportive partner who provides a strong, stable base and gives me the freedom I need. It works for me because it allows me to focus on what’s most important, whilst also having the flexibility to chase new ideas and opportunities. This reflects who I am as a person, and what I find most rewarding in life.
There’s no blueprint for life design
This is the life I’ve designed, but the life you design would (and probably should) be completely different. Your design will be as individual as you, and it will also change throughout your life. Unlike an event, like a wedding or a holiday, a life is continuously being designed in every moment by the choices we make.
Image by Todd Ehlers
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