On Design and Life...*

 

my super-comfy, super-functional, red potato peeler

How many hours do you think were put into designing that red potato peeler above? What about our toothbrushes, or our shiny new phones?

Now here's food for thought: how much time and effort do we put into designing our own lives?

Hm.

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Living deliberately, in choice, with intention; reflecting; letting go... these are all part of my personal life design process.

Learning when to add features, adjust what's there, or remove the superfluous; knowing when to push, and when to let things unfold in their natural state.

'Tis a delicate dance.

In the end, whether we're talking about life or an ergonomic shovel, it's about creating a quality user experience with the product.

Food for thought.

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Are there areas in your life that are asking for deliberate design right now?

If so, why?

* This post was brought to you by Objectified, a documentary in which various designers share insights into the design of objects we use every day (see trailer below), plus my love of taking concepts and transposing them into a different context.

Work Transition Checkpoint: 11 & 1/2 Months In (In Which I Discover a Limiting Core Belief)

The other day I caught myself smack dab in the middle of a limiting core belief. When chatting with my sister about how I'd successfully used one of my productivity tips back at the office (I'm back three days a week after a year away), I exclaimed "Yeah, isn't it cool that it works in the real world too?"

Um, real world?

Wow.

All this time, during my work transition, it seems I still held a belief that a 9-5 job was the real world, which means that the opposite, the soul-supporting work I'm trying to create, must be the unreal - or dream - world.

I dug deeper and realized that I carry negative connotations for both:

real world = practical, pragmatic, soul-sapping, not fun, paying my dues, grind, responsible, fulfilling an obligation, struggle, weighty, the only viable option...

dream world = flighty, irresponsible, unrealistic, a passing phase, unfounded, unsustainable, escape, narcissistic, money is no object - nor is it necessary, free pass, temporary...

Whoa.

I am so ready to let go of that.

I came up with another kind of world that might serve me better:

true world = grounded, intuitive, self-sustaining (including financially), soul-supporting, aware, believing in possibility AND responsibility (not either/or), taking action, introspective, fostering growth through challenge, ease and flow, dreaming big, understanding my current circumstances, stretching out of my comfort zone, being present, making choices that feel right, contribution...

I could go on.

Mm. Yes, I suspect I'll like living in a true world much better.

The journey continues...

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When you hear the term real world, what comes to mind? What about dream world?

What would a true world look like for you?