This is my humble review of Stanford Adjunct Professor Bill Burnett’s talk given in Singapore on 20 July 2024 during NLB Thrive@Libraries Live Well, Work Well Event.
Bill Burnett together with Dave Evans are the authors of the highly regarded book “Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life”. It applies design thinking principles to personal development.
Burnett had done us audience a great favour by highlighting the gems of his acquired experiences while working in several startups and Fortune 100 companies, notably Apple. He also shared his profound insights on his current work as Executive Director of the Design Program and an Adjunct Professor in Mechanical Engineering in Stanford University.
Burnett outlines five essential mindsets for life design: curiosity, experimentation (radical collaboration), reframing, awareness (mindful of process), and bias to action. These mindsets help individuals navigate life’s challenges and opportunities effectively. And to tell your story every day on what you want to happen in your own life. The design principles are relevant for individuals of any age looking to improve their life design.
Life Design Thinking is a process. It starts with Empathize -> Define -> Ideate -> Prototype -> Test.
The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
He highlighted a common goal shared by many working adults about Work Life Balance. Achieving work-life balance can be very challenging to achieve in real life. Some key factors are personal finance considerations, workplace support and obstacles, such as long working hours, high job demands and pressure to constantly available due to technology. These can make it harder to maintain a healthy balance and to stay being unhappy in one’s life trajectory, an unhealthy normal life.
“The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living.” – Socrates 470-399 BC
IDEAS for the FUTURE of You
1. Living Coherently
2. It’s More Than $$
3. The Life Design Cycle
Instead, the question one should ask oneself is “What Do I Make?”
In the Market Economy, you make MONEY
In the Social Economy, you make IMPACT
In the Creative Economy, you make EXPRESSION
Burnett expounded on a practical framework for people to design a life that aligns with their values, passions, and aspirations. He called it ‘The mixing of your “Life Song”‘ in three key areas, that are money, impact & expression and at what degrees and in different stages of your adult life.
You have the ability to choose what areas you want to happen in your own life!
He gave three examples of different age groups, namely 20-Somethings, Mid-Careerists and Golden Years. The goal is to design your next “MIX”.
Write A Lifeview (Not what others want you to become or Own Self Defeating Beliefs)
- Articulating critical defining values and perspectives provides the basis for your understanding of life – the important stuff
- Listening to others’ Lifeviews builds your empathy and understanding and expands your awareness of possibilities
- When you can create a coherent connection between Work and Life views you have a Compass to direct your life.
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay, Apple Fellow
Get unstuck from your current not-so-happy and not so satisfied life.
Not to optimize on one area but to engage and experience your next “Mix”.
Try the stuff and be prepare to work your heart out on things that matter to you.
Prepare to fail, to iterate and to enjoy your journey in your designed life.
Tell your life story!
He ended his speech with these reminders of our life matters, to be
- passionate
- super-powered
- connected
- kale-loving
- innovative
- mindful
- dazzling
How Can We Be More,
Human, Helpful and Hopeful
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