Your well-designed life will have a look and a feel all of its own as well, and design thinking will help you solve your own life design problems. Everything that makes our daily living easier, more productive, more enjoyable, and more pleasurable was created because of a problem, and because some designer or team of designers somewhere out there in the world sought to solve that problem. The spaces we live in, work in, and play in were all designed to make our life, work, and play better. No matter where we look in our external world, we can see what happens when designers tackle problems.
Reframing
Designers don’t think their way forward. Designers build their way forward.
Dysfunctional Belief: If you are successful, you will be happy. Reframe: True happiness comes from designing a life that works for you.
Dysfunctional Belief: Your degree determines your career. Reframe: Three-quarters of all college grads don't end up working in a career related to their
Dysfunctional Belief: It's too late. Reframe: It's never too late to design a life you love.
Approach
Be Curious
Try Stuff
Reframe Problems
Know it's a Process
Ask for Help
Do
Answer the following questions:
What are you curious about?
What new things are you willing to try?
Using the examples above, Reframe a Dysfunctional Belief you might have.
Reaching goals takes time, action, -- and resilience. Give an example of how you've been or are resilient?
Who can you ask for help from?
Your Answers
1
Dysfunctional Belief: "I have to know exactly what kind of designer I want to be before I graduate."
Reframe: “I’m designing my way toward what kind of designer I’ll become and every project is a prototype.”
2
My concept of success can be seen as a dysfunctional belief in my opinion. As I stated above, my newer concept of success is relative to my ability to make independent decisions without worrying financially.
3
Just because my college career is coming to an end doesn't mean I'll stop learning to things about design. I'll learn more in any career that I choose, and there are resources available for me to keep expanding my skills on my own time.
4
Dysfunctional Belief: I’m not good enough to be successful in my design career yet. Everyone else seems more talented and confident.
Reframed Belief: I’m still learning and improving, and that’s okay. Every designer starts somewhere. My progress and growth are what matter most, not comparing myself to others.
5
Dysfunctional Belief: “I made a few mistakes in speaking on this presentation, so I’m not good at presenting.”
Reframe: Practice and effort creates mastery.
6
Dysfunctional Belief: My degree will help me get a job.
Reframe: Showing a job that I have the skills and experience from my degree and for who I am.
7
"If I make enough money, I will be successful" -> "true success will come from the passion and satisfaction of your hard work"
8
Dysfunctional belief: If I’m not constantly producing or improving, I’m falling behind. Reframed: Rest and reflection are part of the creative process. Pausing doesn’t mean I’m behind—it means I’m letting my ideas catch up to me.
9
Dysfunctional belief: None of this has any purpose as we are all going to die.
Reframe: We are all going to die, so I will design a life that brings me joy.
10
Belief: my work as a designer is not the best. Reframe: My work as a designer is growing the more work I put in.
11
"I'll never be rich"
I will have financial freedom.
12
Dysfunctional belief: I need to be on the same level and have a matching style or like interest like the company that hires me does.
13
Sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough, but I need to reframe that to: I’m doing exactly what I need to be doing right now, and more will come as time goes on. Another belief I’ve been working on reframing is thinking I always have to have everything figured out — instead, I’m learning that it’s okay to still be figuring things out as I go.
14
Dysfunctional Belief: “If I’m not achieving something big right now, I’m falling behind.”
Reframe: “Progress looks different for everyone. Staying consistent and focused on growth is what actually leads to success.”
15
Dysfunctional Belief: “If I’m not achieving something big right now, I’m falling behind.”
Reframe: “Progress looks different for everyone. Staying consistent and focused on growth is what actually leads to success.”