Looking Ahead to 2023: Using Design Thinking to Build Your Unique Compass

Life design is anchored in empathy, curiosity, and experimentation.

As we consider goals and dreams for the year ahead, we can apply principles of design thinking to proactively 'design our lives’ based on our own core values and purpose.

Design thinking provides a framework for decision-making and creating based on what is actually desired rather than on what has been done in the past or presumptions about what is wanted.

As a coach, I work with clients to apply design thinking principles as they explore, discover and go after their dreams for their lives, career, wellbeing and relationships.

Life design and our internal compass

This design-thinking approach is laid out in the book Designing Your Life, How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, two Stanford d.school professors. Their book is based on their hugely popular “Design Your Life” course at Stanford, also offered and adapted by schools across the country.

Design thinking provides a powerful framework to build your way forward from wherever you are in your life or career emphasizing an openness to thinking and doing things differently.

My coaching clients are often seeking clarity regarding a specific decision or about their overall direction in life, relationships or career. Using a mindset of curiosity and design-thinking principles we can build our own compass, “North Star” or “True North” to guide us.

Without our own compass, we risk living our lives by someone else’s compass. We risk imitating others rather than living in our own authenticity.

We are always processing external and internal voices pressuring us about what to do and who to be. Our compass helps guide us to live with coherency between who we are, what we believe, and what we are doing.

With our own compass, we won't always know where we’re going but we can know we’re headed in the right direction.

How do we find our compass?

We start by exploring our values and purpose, and what brings meaning and joy to our lives. This provides clarity and discernment to guide our decision-making and boundary-setting, which opens up more space and energy for what’s important.

Life design invites imagination, thinking outside the box and dreaming of a life that does not yet exist.

To get started by narrowing in on your core values, download and complete my Exploration of Values Exercise.

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