How to Design a More Meaningful Life (with Dave Evans and Bill Burnett)
New episode of The Happiness Lab: How to Design a More Meaningful Life (with Dave Evans and Bill Burnett)
Picture this: You've checked everything off your to-do list. You've optimized your morning routine, crushed your quarterly goals, and your inbox is at zero. So why do you still feel... empty?
Stanford design experts Bill Burnett and Dave Evans argue that we may be solving for the wrong thing. We're living in what they call the "transactional world" where the best possible outcome is for things to be over and done. But meaning doesn't live there.
This week on The Happiness Lab, I sit down with Bill and Dave to chat about their new book How to Live a Meaningful Life. We explore how we can use design thinking to get unstuck not by cramming more into our lives, but by getting more out of the moments we already have.
Listen to the full conversation, "Stop Chasing Productivity & Start Designing Meaning with Bill Burnett & Dave Evans."
“The mere fact that anything exists at all is astonishing.”
How to Find More Meaning Without Cramming More In
Accept the “scandal of particularity.”
We chase what Bill and Dave call capital-M Meaning — the kind that comes with a lightning bolt and solves everything. But meaning often shows up in "scandalously small" moments: that perfect kiss, the sunset you paused for, your favorite song playing at a red light. Once we accept that big meaning only arrives through everyday experiences, we can stop hunting for more and start savoring what's here.
Focus on moment-making, not meaning-making.
In order to find more meaning, start designing meaningful moments in the life you already have. Notice the purple flowers on your walk, savor the hug from someone you love, make your grandmother's recipe and remember her. These moments connect us to something bigger than ourselves, and they're available all the time if we pay attention.
Assume there's something wonderful you haven't noticed yet.
Wonder exists almost everywhere—in breathtaking vistas and in the smallest everyday details. When you're doing something mundane, ask yourself: What if there's something cool here I'm missing? Give yourself permission to look for it.
Notice when you feel like yourself.
Pay attention to moments when what you're doing lines up with who you are—what Dave and Bill call "coherency sightings." You probably have more than you realize but you need to notice them.
Skip small talk, ask real (deep) questions.
Next time you're at dinner, try "What surprised you lately?" instead of "What do you do?" People are way more ready to go deep than you think — they're just waiting for you to ask the right questions.
Take Action This Week: At the end of this week, look back through your days and write down three moments you savored—even tiny ones. That first sip of coffee. The light through the window. A good laugh. You're training your brain to notice what's already working.
Coming Up Next Week...
February is supposed to be the month of love, but for many of us it just makes the gaps feel louder. Next week on The Happiness Lab, I talk with social psychologists Sonja Lyubomirsky and Harry Reis about why so many people don’t feel as loved as they’d like—even by the people closest to them—and what the science suggests can help us feel more deeply connected in our relationships.
Here's to getting more out of the life you're already living.
Looking for more?
You can find all our companion guides from this season of The Happiness Lab on DrLaurieSantos.com/Newsletter.
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