AJ and Johnny sit down with Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, Stanford professors and authors of Designing Your Life, to explore how to build a more meaningful, fully alive existence. They share why “follow your passion” is bad advice, how design thinking can help you reframe your sense of purpose, and what it really takes to live with coherence and wonder.
Bill and Dave unpack the myths around self-actualization, the power of community in shaping growth, and how curiosity plus mystery creates everyday wonder. From shifting your mindset from “got to” to “get to,” to discovering your “focus question,” this conversation reveals how to design a life that’s creative, connected, and consciously alive.
Chapters:00:00 – How lunch at Stanford started a global movement
05:00 – From “follow your passion” to “design your life”10:00 – Why chasing impact isn’t enough for meaning15:00 – Rethinking self-actualization and transcendence20:00 – The four keys to a meaningful life: wonder, coherence, flow, and community25:00 – How to find your focus question and design your compass30:00 – The power of formative communities and shared stories35:00 – Building resilience through small moments of wonder40:00 – Awakening the “flow world” and shifting from got to → get to45:00 – The mindsets for living fully alive
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Episode resources:
<a href="https://designingyour.life/">⁠DesigningYour.life</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Live-Meaningful-Life-Thinking/dp/B0FJPCV51D/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1OM3B6OWTB817&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QxCsh0-mkd76Quzh0NkJQ4Qn6eR3rSUPNQ_DjamyenI9AZcR12UQEr0xxhHH9OhtwdcXPSUbZEB6sJLRUUfWhCC2I_t05IWJvAmd4HhkHrmYvBvY4PW_ziNgKyWEdv6QHZrW6f3JViM3JNNJ6YJdAKVDLx835bQCeR2SzppOed8d5Pyh_Nfw5jNbHjmmjwg_0T8h3uHM4D5Ys5mss4PHaizxc2ejey-WPal326XSkRQ.DiSvoNs28QkGV6RuSIrJTujIhfbJah7jzjlpIEZlBwY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Bill+Burnett&qid=1763956397&sprefix=%2Caps%2C366&sr=8-3">How to Live a Meaningful Life: Using Design Thinking to Unlock Purpose, Joy, and Flow Every Day</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Your-Life-audiobook/dp/B01K5UD0H4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OM3B6OWTB817&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QxCsh0-mkd76Quzh0NkJQ4Qn6eR3rSUPNQ_DjamyenI9AZcR12UQEr0xxhHH9OhtwdcXPSUbZEB6sJLRUUfWhCC2I_t05IWJvAmd4HhkHrmYvBvY4PW_ziNgKyWEdv6QHZrW6f3JViM3JNNJ6YJdAKVDLx835bQCeR2SzppOed8d5Pyh_Nfw5jNbHjmmjwg_0T8h3uHM4D5Ys5mss4PHaizxc2ejey-WPal326XSkRQ.DiSvoNs28QkGV6RuSIrJTujIhfbJah7jzjlpIEZlBwY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Bill+Burnett&qid=1763956397&sprefix=%2Caps%2C366&sr=8-1">Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life</a>
Check in with AJ and Johnny!
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajharbinger/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AJ on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-dzubak-b5182687/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Johnny on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajharbinger/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AJ on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/aocjohnny">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Johnny on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/theartofcharm">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/pickuppodcastvideos">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theartofcharm">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Charm on TikTok</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

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