Designing Your Work Life summary

Introduction

Designing Your Work-Life by Bill Burnett Redesign your current job to find meaning and fulfillment. Do you remember those childhood car trips spent asking, are we there yet? As an adult, you probably do not do that anymore. At least you do not do that in the car.

But when it comes to your career, it is possible. You are still caught up in an are we there yet mindset. The statement, do what you love, must be one of the most glitched pieces of career advice going. But unless you have a well-funded, obligation-free lifestyle, it is also pretty useless.

For most of us, making a dramatic life change to chase our dreams simply is not possible. What if you do not need to change roles to find your dream job? What if you can redesign your current role to fit your passions and interests? Applying good design principles will make your career more meaningful and professionally fulfilling.

It might even make you more money.

Accept Where You Are

Accept Where You Are. When you are not achieving your ambitions, it is easy to feel unhappy in your work-life. What is more, focusing on where you are headed is a big distraction. It stops you from making meaningful changes to the job you currently have.

The key message is, wherever you are in your career is good enough for now. Modern society has conditioned us to want more of everything, whether that is more money or more status. Unfortunately, the thing with more is, you can never get enough of it. For psychologists, it fits with something they call the hedonic treadmill.

The pleasure of getting what you want leads you to repeat the same behavior over and over again. The chemical high in your brain fades, but you want more. So around and around the circle you go. You are stuck on the treadmill.

Burnett and Evans called the type of person struggling on this a non-life designer. That is someone who wants more from her career. For example, a bigger office, a better salary, or more authority. But she does not examine why she wants these things.

To get out of this relentless cycle, the author suggests you become a life designer. That is someone who lives with intention. She knows that wherever she is right now is good enough. This ability to accept that your job is good enough for now is made possible by one of the most effective tools.

It is called the reframe. But note that this is not about relabeling your situation. You cannot just grit your teeth and tell yourself your job is fine. To reframe your mindset, you must restructure your point of view.

That means noticing what is good about your current role. Focus on what works well and the tasks you enjoy. If this does not come naturally, try keeping a journal. By reframing your perspective, you will be able to see your situation more clearly.

You may spot ways to redesign your job so that it works better for you. Or you may discover something that is lacking in your work life. Once you know that, you can start to address the gap.