“A well-designed life is a life that is generative—it is constantly creative, productive, changing, evolving, and there is always the possibility of surprise.” -Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, book Designing Your Life
..is not always good advice.
At least, not according to authors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.
They argue, and cite research that backs this up, that only about 20 percent of people know exactly what they want to do in life and are passionate about this one thing.
Most people like several things. They can do several things. They might not have an all-out, burning desire to do just one.
So what to do if you’re part of the 80 percent?
Burnett and Evans argue in their excellent book, Designing Your Life, to start thinking like a designer. Try things. (This is where the 100 hour rule again might be useful.) Make things. Build prototypes. Explore various career options. Interview people. See if you’re gaining traction anywhere.
All the while, pay attention to your feelings. Does anything particularly excite and interest you? If yes, give that some more attention. There’s a whole bunch of other great specific and strategic advice in the book. Check it out.
And if you’re like me, part of the 20 percent who are super passionate about something and want to do it for the rest of their lives, (in my case, that’s acting and making art with my friends) congratulations, you’ve found your calling. It’s a blessing and a curse. But you’re doing it. Find a way, by any means necessary, to…
Just. Keep. Doing it.
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