Life By Design

Are you living your life by design?

Life by design sets you up to realise your potentials. It maximises choice and possibilities.

Living your life by design is like being a conscious and well resourced manager. You know what you want. You are deliberate, strategic and pro-active in making that happen.

How you manage yourself plays out in how you manage each part of your life.

People who live their life by design are firmly in the drivers seat. They choose where they will go. Their clear goals. They choose and plan the routes and vehicles to get there. They are not de-railed by unexpected detours or obstacles. They believe in themselves even if others around them disagree with their goals and dreams. They have a flexible approach to problems and possibilities. They think “how can I ” instead of “I can’t because….”. They focus on problem solving. They are open to possibilities. They are adaptable.

When we are living life by our own design we are most likely to feel happier. More contented and fulfilled. We tend to be more positively motivated more of the time. We are likely to be more resilient. 

Reflection Questions

How well resourced and effective do you feel as a manager of yourself?

• Do you enjoy a healthy sense of personal power/empowerment?
• Do you tend to react on automatic or choose how you respond to different people and situations?
• How well do you take care of needs? 
• How effectively do you manage problems?
• How confidently do you make decisions?
• How comfortably and effectively do you handle conflict?

How well resourced do you feel in managing key areas of your life? These include relationships, health, finances and career/work life.

• Are you maintaining a satisfying work and life balance?
• Are you clear about what you want?
• Do you feel capable and confident to set and achieve goals and outcomes?
• Do you stay true to yourself in your responses, decisions and choices? Even if other people disagree or disapprove?

Characteristics of People Who Live Life By Design

Life by design is founded on the mindset of “I can”.

There are specific characteristics and skills that support living your life according to your own design. These characteristics and skills can be developed and integrated into your daily life.

People who shape their life by their own design share the following common denominators:

• they enjoy a strong and positive self regard/self acceptance
• they believe in themselves and their goals and dreams and can back themselves
• they are confident to trust themselves
• they live in ways that are being true to themselves
• they are clear about what they want and value
• they build competence in managing each area of their lives (e.g. they access education, mentors, coaching, counselling)
• they keep themselves on track with what they want to do, to experience, to set up or to achieve
• they are pro-active in taking best care of what is most important to them (values)
• they tend to realise goals and actualise their dreams
• they have an adaptable and problem solving orientation to living
• they are willing to take reasoned and well informed risks
• they live from the present (and towards the future they desire)
• they understand how to motivate themselves and be persistent
• they value life skills and actively develop these skills (e.g. communication skills, decision making skills and many more)

All of the characteristics listed above can be adjusted, strengthened and developed. This is a tremendously rewarding project to set for yourself. It can be thought of as a gradual process of empowerment on many levels.

I particularly enjoy working with people to facilitate this process. When you live life by design rather than by default, unimagined transformations can unfold. Being  freed up to live your life by design is exciting and inspiring.