Lifestyle Design – The Power of Self-Reflection

When we’re children, we have a lot of time to think about things

Many of us thought about what we wanted to be as adults, or the type of life that we wanted to live. It’s simple being a child, and though we didn’t realize it then, most of us had an abundance of one of the most valuable things a person can have; time. Children have all the time in the world for what author and life-hacker Tim Ferriss coined as “lifestyle design”.

Eventually, most of us find jobs or launch into careers, and that’s when it happens; we stop thinking, at least about the important things. We don’t leave ourselves the time to self-reflect and ask ourselves questions like ‘am I happy doing what I’m doing?‘ and if not ‘so what else could I be doing?‘. I’m not just talking about jobs here either; I’m talking about life… both what we do at work, and what we do outside of it.

The trouble is, most of us don’t think about this stuff until something drastic happens. Death, divorce or a lay-off can be the things that get us to realize that maybe our life doesn’t look like what we want it to. It’s not an easy thing to do either; changing careers or just generally thinking about where your life is going.

What I’m about to talk about is a symptom of what caused the problems that we’re experiencing at work and in life, and it’s an attitude that needs changing. How many people do you know who are just living their lives, doing something that they will inevitably get bored of? My guess is quite a lot… It’s ok to enjoy what you do, but it’s not ok to be complacent. That’s why lifestyle design is so important.

It’s easy to fall into that trap of ‘what I do doesn’t matter’ because when we’re too busy going through a routine each day, looking at the same people and having similar conversations, then we forget the big picture; our lives!

Lifestyle Design Takes Effort? Ugh.

For such an intelligent and innovative species, we sure are terrible at knowing what we want to do with ourselves, both in the present, and in the future. Most of us don’t even make an effort, and that’s really the saddest part of it all. If a little bit of self reflection, and a little bit of risk – trying new things, meeting new people, quitting that shitty job you’ve been working at for 7 years – were all it took to change your life for the better, would you do it?

The next time you realize that you’ve been unhappy for an extended period, set aside some time and ask yourself the hard questions. No one else will know, no one will judge you, and you may just surprise yourself with the answers you come up with. Lifestyle design, or deciding what’s important to us and how we want to spend our time, isn’t something that simply happens. It’s an active process, and I promise you… no one is going to do the heavy lifting – the thinking part – for you.

In the end though, happiness isn’t found in a job or lifestyle. It’s about taking each passing day and trying to determine what you’re grateful for, and what you’d like more of in your life.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON

in

Life Advice

Photo of author

Chad

Chad is the co-founder of Unfinished Man, a leading men's lifestyle site. He provides straightforward advice on fashion, tech, and relationships based on his own experiences and product tests. Chad's relaxed flair makes him the site's accessible expert for savvy young professionals seeking trustworthy recommendations on living well.

Leave a Comment