Is the design goal actionable?
Check that your design goal can be acted on in the real world.
A design goal only works if you can move forward with it.
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You’ve determined your design goal, usually written as: I want to <what you want to achieve>. Before moving forward, check whether it allows for real action. If it doesn’t, adjust it unless you consciously choose to keep it, and then test the new version. Repeat this process until you have a design goal that is practically actionable.
Checking your design goal for actionability is like testing a bridge you want to cross. It needs to support you and get you safely to the other side.
Life design is about taking effective action to create a life that feels meaningful and worth living. Your design goal must be achievable, otherwise you risk getting stuck on something you have no real chance of accomplishing. You don’t want to waste time working on problems that have no solution. Broadly, we can distinguish two types of unsolvable problems: gravity problems and anchor problems.
👉 Gravity problems are problems that are practically impossible to solve. For example, making a living by writing poems is extremely unlikely. If you cannot take action on something, it is not a problem but a circumstance, a fact. Resisting reality in such cases is futile. Accept the situation as it is and let go of any design goal that is unattainable.
Assess whether your design goal is a gravity problem. If it is, choose a different goal unless you consciously decide to keep it. It’s your life, so it’s your choice, but the likelihood of success is extremely small and the risk of getting stuck is high.
👉 Anchor problems are problems that are solvable in principle but have kept you stuck in one place. You are blocked because you are holding on to a solution that does not allow you to achieve what you want. Releasing a blocking solution can be liberating. It allows you to break free from the anchor.
For example, someone feels unhappy in a job that does not match his personal values. For over a year, he has tried to align his current role with those values, without success. His design goal is: “I want to align my current job with my values.” His underlying need is to have work that fits his values. Adjusting the design goal to “I want a job that fits my personal values” opens up many ways to meet that need.
If your design goal has been blocking you, consider making the underlying need your goal instead. If you consciously choose to keep the blocking solution, recognize that continuing to try the same thing will likely produce the same result.
So ask yourself:
🤔 Is this design goal something I can act on?
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🖊️ If this process changes your design goal, strike out or delete the old one and write the new goal in the format: I want to <what you want to achieve>.
References
Designing Your Life, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
