Workshop Design Your Life
Posted on wo 19 februari 2020 in workshop
This workshop is in response to a question from Ana and Gábor for help with finding direction in their lives. The outline below is based on the process I followed for the design of my own life with additional resources from books, websites and blog posts I have read and experimented with in the mean time.
If you would like to take part in this workshop, please let me know. When I have found 6 to 8 people interested in doing this workshop with me, we can set a date.
Outline
Before we begin
- Think about your evening. Think about your habits and rituals;
- Find one activity you do in the evening that you do out of habit but that ultimately leaves you unfulfilled;
- Replace this activity with 10 minutes of Bullet Journaling for at least the duration of the workshop.
Opening thought
Sow a thought, reap a word;Sow a word, reap an action;Sow an action, reap a habit;Sow a habit, reap a character;Sow a character, reap a destiny.Introduction
- Life design is impossible... but here's what we can do
- above all make sure the basics necessities are fulfilled: supply of food and water, shelter and security
- focus on process not outcome
- focus on joy and simplicity: "Does it spark joy?" Remove what does not (any more)
- Workshop structure based on Dragon Dreaming project cycle
- Celebrate - Dream - Plan - Do (- Celebrate - ...)
- Life design is impossible... but here's what we can do
Celebrate - answers: "Where do we come from?"
- Slides week 1
- Get to know self
- keep a journal (bullet journal, diary, morning pages, ...)
- meditate / contemplate / practice mindfulness
- why do you want to Design Your Life?
- Apply 9 Ways of Observing as it relates to your life
- I wonder...
- Observe energy
- Observe flow
- Observe communities
- Observe patterns
- Observe edge
- Observe limits
- Observe from stillness
- Observe past & future
- Apply 9 Forms of Capital as it relates to your life
- energy capital: list of income and expenses / access to sunlight
- living capital: list of living beings in your life
- material capital: list of inanimate objects in your life
- financial capital: list of assets and liabilities
- cultural capital: list of roles, cultural expressions
- intellectual capital: list of knowledge areas
- experiential capital: list of learning experiences / failures / turning points
- social capital: list of relations / connections
- spiritual / emotional captial: list of practices to keep you sane, grounded, balanced, and cultivate gratefulness and joy
- To dig deeper:
- TED talk: What makes a good life?
- Finding purpose: 12 exercises to help you discover purpose and passion
- Personality tests
- Mindfulness practices
- Bullet journal (Ryder Carroll)
- Morning pages / Artists dates (Julia Cameron - The Artist's Way)
- Metta / Loving kindness meditation
- Contemplation / Discursive meditation
- Yoga
Dream - answers: "Where do we want to go?"
- Slides week 2
- Do a mental inventory
- Three columns: Working on / Should be working on / Want to be working on
- Ask: Why am I doing these things? Filter using:
- Is it vital? If yes, keep;
- Does this matter to me? If yes, keep;
- Are there consequences for not doing this? If yes, maybe keep. If no, drop it because it is a distraction.
- Create a vision using a Dreaming Circle
- of self;
- of couple or family;
- of group.
Plan - answers: "How do we get there?"
- Slides week 3
- Evaluate activities using a Reverse Fishbone Diagram
- positive effects go above the line;
- negative effects go under the line;
- mark primary focus and all first order effects.
- Remove activities before adding new ones;
- Move from Complicated to Simple by focussing on the essential;
- Move from Simple to Complex by combining essentials.
- Apply Multiple elements x multiple functions to make a Web of goals;
- Take elements from Mental inventory;
- Take functions from Reverse Fishbone Diagram and your Vision.
- Treat everything as an experiment:
- Start simple;
- Start small;
- Keep it fun.
- To dig deeper:
- Choose a set of guiding principles to tickle your imagination:
- Permaculture ethics
- Holmgren principles
- Attitudinal principles
- Permaculture principles through a druids lens;
- Read the Inner landscape of our lives for a way to apply the last set of principles;
- Choose a set of guiding principles to tickle your imagination:
Do - Let's Go!
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. -- Arthur Ashe, American athlete
- Slides week 4
- Focus on process not outcome;
- Create a culture with good habits and fun rituals;
- Create a personal philosophy;
- Choose activities that reinforce multiple goals;
- Find joy and encouragement in small things;
- Use reminders, affimations and celebrations;
- Keep at it;
- To dig deeper:
- Affirmations: An Introduction by John Michael Greer
- How to get started with difficult tasks
- Use the intend / release / notice loop (intend = plan, release = do, notice = celebrate);
Celebrate - Start the cycle anew regularly
- Appreciate the AHA moment;
- Close the feedback loop by failing early, failing fast, failing often and failing better;
- Turn failure and rejection into learning experiences: "Either things go well, or you will learn something";
- Create daily rituals / habits to integrate celebration in your
life:
- review the day;
- write down three (or more) things you're grateful for;
- plan the next day;
- Enlist the help of a partner / sangha / community to keep you motivated, accountable and to provide a sounding board;
- Regularly check in with and review your vision, intentions, habits and roles; choose to do this monthly, on solstices and equinoxes, or during major holidays;
- Fill out a Year Compass;
- Try Guided Journaling