lifestyles
fourgames for a minimal framework for life(style) management;
self-management for my initial takes on the first of the three design pillars i work with (self, life and systems design/management);
personal knowledge management for a discussion on different "life management" philosophies and approaches coming especially from the modern/techno-centric perspectives and classical/western philosophy, informing academic and organizational development over the past 50+ years;
l1f3 management system for my constantly under-development approach for it;
l1f3 management ontology for the ontological basis informing this approach.
โ disclaimer
this note is still in an early stage. if the contents below seem too loose, consider exploring the references linked above for better processed information.
about
i believe the design of our lifestyles has a dramatic impact on our lives, and this is something that isn't discussed or theorized nearly enough, even in circles that talk about self-transformation, social change, regeneration or civilization design in general. in sociology or anthropology, there's a big emphasis on race and social class, but a lack of comprehensive visions and propositions for alternative ways of social organizing. (see: listening society for a discussion in more depth)
the term "lifestyle design" rose in popularity with digital nomads and such, but the major resources that emerged with it, like tim ferriss' 4-hour workweek and designing your life are tremendously superficial and carry a lot of modern/euro-centric biases.
the task of "designing a lifestyle" has a sociological, anthropological, philosophical nature, that's often ignored, and it can be a very powerful practical tool for self-reflection on the life-long paths of decolonization and self-unfoldment.
so here are a few of my key inquiries:
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the problem with how we (don't) think about lifestyles are two:
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unconscious, ineffective design
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systemic fragility, messed up inputs (energy) and outputs (waste).
we're not taking into account the externalities of our lifestyles. their real costs are invisibilized (energy, buying, disposing, hiring, firing)...
i.e. people's lifestyles often reflect their values, or more deeply, effective value memes.
examples: digital nomadism <> minimalism (intersection) <> regenerative/holistic... a higher level of intentionality around their energy management and [luiz smth design].
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who are the highly intentional people with highly intentional lifestyles?
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what are we optimizing our lifestyles towards? / what are the characteristics of a disruptive lifestyle?
more early-stage reflections:
many people talk about lifestyle design, but from a narrow perspective. i unfortunately haven't found anyone questioning it deeply enough to bring insights, as to, for example, what is a lifestyle, really?
one of the perspectives i arrived at is that a lifestyle is just an emergent property of a being living its life. a lifestyle is a part of the system. it's just how you - consciously and unconsciously - choose to live within a model of reality you've constructed.
but what other properties, elements, aspects exist in a being's life?
the more we are aware of such things and open to experimenting with and integrating these unconscious elements, the broader our sense of being becomes and the more proficient we are at life.
on the note of lifestyle, self or mind design, since we don't know how much we don't know, we also need to question our ability to design things. what may seem like a functional, beautiful design, in practice be the opposite.
how often do we tell ourselves that we want something, when in fact, what we truly want is something else?
instead of using a rigid "i'm going to plan every detail of myself and my life" approach, it's possible to experiment with the balance of the known and the unknown.
that's how i came to use the term "management". it's the constant balancing between control and no control. order and chaos.
that's one tricky area to navigate though, as many people talk about this process of design and materialization through the lenses of manifestation and law of attraction, which although packed with insights, often has a lot of magical thinking involved.
a few different approaches:
spiritually-oriented:
michael beckwith is someone who crafts useful distinctions to navigate this territory, such as the difference between visioning and envisioning. check out his masterclass on mindvalley (https://www.mindvalley.com/visioning/masterclass) if you want to learn more.
vs
practically-oriented:
designing your life
4-hour workweek
+ see: personal knowledge management for a deep discussion on various frameworks
vs
in-between (spiritual + practical):
gabriel goffi (see: 24h system and moving up)
รญsis schuarts (see: l1f3 manager and her content on youtube)
vs
learning-oriented:
related, coming soon: player lifestyles, regenerative lifestyles, regenerative life design, c4ss1us' player lifestyle.