There’s no question that lifestyle design has exploded in popularity over the past year. It seems like a new blog about lifestyle design pops up almost daily these days, and my Google Alert on the topic brings me 20+ new articles about it some days.
At the same time, I’ve been hearing more and more subtle backlash against the topic of lifestyle design recently.
Some negative response to the growth of any new “movement” or concept is understandable or even expected I suppose, but I wanted to find out what you think about lifestyle design as a concept nearly three years after Tim Ferriss defined the term in his now famous book, The 4-Hour Work Week.
Is Lifestyle Design Dead?
You might argue that lifestyle design has always existed and always will.
Fundamentally, everyone designs a life for themselves, consciously or not. Some people follow a typical life template, and some people decide to do something a little less ordinary. Either way, your lifestyle was designed to some degree.
For that reason, the topic of lifestyle design can be so broad as to apply to anyone doing anything with their lives. If that’s the case, it doesn’t seem so useful.
On the other hand, much of the current writing about lifestyle design (and most of Ferriss’ book) tends to focus on travel, entrepreneurship and creating as much free time as possible. That’s much more specific, but in some ways gets away from the idea that each person’s ideal lifestyle will be different. Some people love to travel; others don’t. Some people want to start a small business; others would sooner work in a coal mine.
In addition to lifestyle design, there’s the whole question of conventionalism. Blogs like The Art of Nonconformity or the new Untemplater challenge you to live unconventionally.
As Cath Duncan put it in a recent comment at Wage Slave Rebel, are we really just creating a new “bunch of sheep to flock with” by all subscribing to the same idea of what’s unconventional?
There are valid points on both sides, but what I really want to know is if the term lifestyle design has already outlived its usefulness. Would those of us who have identified with it be better off with something else? Does a term that can be both vague and limiting at the same time really help people get closer to living their own personal ideal lifestyles?
What do you think? Is Lifestyle Design dead, or is it just getting started?
photo by tanakawho
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The movement is only beginning. Tim Feriss started a revolution – buzzwords aside, the number of people who are questioning conventional thinking are multiplying. I call my version of LD “creating your own games in life and then playing them just for the sake of playing them” but that’s the beauty of the movement – everyone can (and should) interpret what it means in their own way.
Whenever enough people start living a new reality, it opens up possibilities for others to at least venture after similar trails.
“Love, and do what you like.” – St. Augusten
I would have to agree the greatest contribution to the movement of “lifestyle design’ Tim Ferris and his ‘Four Hour Work Week’ (4HWW) has made is that he defined some terms and fundamental principles for the world to use. Agree with them or not, he has made his definition the default. He did it by wrapping his principles in a few (enjoyable to read) stories. He did not invent anything, but paraphrased a number of sources, but he did wrap a boring lecture into an enjoyable format.
Sure there are a lot of specifics that people can quibble about (and they are quibbling), but he has moved something that was underground and not well understood and brought it into the mainstream.
Did he invent it… no he did not. But he is the one (enjoying his 15 minutes) who is defining the movement at least for now.
Forester group is reporting that 72% of all knowledge workers will be telecommuting at least partially by 2012. What people do with that opportunity is all up to them? Tim’s book has brought some options to the table that many many people would not have considered before… in my humble opinion.
I am a student of the 4HWW but my version of the truth is a two hour work day. I personally already work one day a week from home. I aspire to travel one month in four. When I travel I want to work no more than 2 hours a day.
You’re right, it IS only the beginning and it is a revolution and will be as big as the industrial revolution!! Lifestyle Design/world wide digital nomading/location independent/ virtual schooling is a trend that is growing fast and will go mainstream.
Tim is a master showman & PR guy and we’re featured Case Studies in 4HWW (even though we were living the life before it was first written) so I’m absolutely crazy about what he has done and how many people he has inspired and opened their eyes to a new way to view life.
But timing is everything and tech and the new economy ALSO plays a BIG part in this. Masses didn’t do this before because it was never this easy and they were not as motivated (there use to be at least a sense of security with careers that no longer exists).
There was a time when getting a good job with the same company until you got a gold watch at retirement made sense. It no longer does today. Haven’t you seen the “we are living in exponential times” videos?
The U.S. Dept of labor estimates that today’s learners will have 10 to 14 jobs by the time they are 38! (And that research was done a few years ago).
People don’t always change because they want to, often circumstances force a new way of being. The old ways are dying because they were and are unsustainable.
Yes, the true beauty of the movement is everyone can (and should) interpret what it means in their own way! This is the wave of the future and those that embrace adaptability, freedom, self determination and simplicity will be head of the game.
Mark Twain has several of my favorite quotes, the most popular of which is: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.”
I have always been a hell-raiser, go-against-the-flow-just-for-the-sake-of-it guy. I usually look what other people are doing, and go in another direction. By default, I cannot stand things that are popular. However that is usually because what is popular is dumb. I would be all about a world of peace, a mentality of conservation of resources and the environment, a workforce of satisfied and happy people. If all of these wonderful things came to pass, I would not find myself nostalgic for the days of the military-industrial-complex and 80-hour workweeks.
Nonetheless, as lifestyle design becomes more popular, we must all stop and reflect. What does it mean to each of us? Who is espousing the LD philosophy just to make some cash (and therefore stand on the shoulders of others’ shoulders)? How is LD appropriate to my stage in life? Be real, focus on what fulfills you, and work towards personal goals that are consciously defined. And as Markus says, the more of us that do this the greater momentum we have to really change the path this world is on.
How about we all change the name of the movement to be more accurate? – Get A Life!
I don’t think the term “lifestyle design” is dead but to think that all of us will become Tim Ferris only buys into the “sheeple principle”. I read an article recently by Annabel Candy recently that states that we need to examine our lives and realize that we sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves to be someone elses reality. Enter http://www.getinthehotspot.com/2010/01/12/what-to-do-with-your-life-if-you-dont-know-what-to-do-2/ This article really opened my eyes to the fact that we can do our own thing and not to settle for what someone else’s idea of success might be. We will continue to design our own life but it may not be that “perfect” Tim Ferriss life! And that’s OK!
Lifestyle Design is our generationX’s Liberty Bond ~ it’s our patriotic duty to invest in the life we want to lead.
Funnily enough I just wrote about The 4-Hour Workweek on my blog. I do think that it’s an ambitious model but it’s good to aim high and the book does have plenty of tips on how to save time, travel more or set up an online business.
I’m new to the term lifestyle design and only discovered it in the middle of last year. Personally I think it’s just a sexy new moniker for self help and personal development. It certainly sounds more interesting and I sometimes wish I’d described my blog as about lifestyle design instead of self development. It’s certainly something I know a lot about as I’ve been working for myself for 12 years and over the past 20 years or so have lived in the UK, France, the US, Thailand, Laos, Zimbabwe and Costa Rica and visited many other countries. It looks as if I was ahead of my time. Now, if I’d only coined the term ‘lifestyle design’!
A lot of people think I’m lucky but they could have done it to. It’s just about having guts and choosing to do what pleases you. It’s not for everyone, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Ah, yes, we like categories, terms and neat, little boxes because it is convenient and we think leads to a better understanding of the quantum soup. However, these labels can also lead to what scientists refer to as “paradigm paralysis” as we fall prey to our own conditioning (reminds me of Ivan Pavlov’s dog experiment). In the event, we fail to see the nature of reality as it actually is, and omit or reject the information that does not meet our theories. In the process, we limit our understanding.
Location independent, lifestyle design, nomadic this, entrepreneurship, etc….you name it…this is “old wine in new bottle” and has been around for thousands (if not millions) of years. And it may well pre-date the Judeo-Christian ethos and democracy and out notions of progress as well. I think we need to be more curious and open about more ancient societies, cultures and civilizations. Otherwise, we flatter only to deceive.
If memory serves, ancient travelers have recorded manuscripts (and not always in English) about how artists and explorers were funded by the monarchy (and others) to follow their whims and fancies. Such “entrepreneurs” were released from the drudgery of 9 to 5 and were relatively free to pursue their ideas. Since money was no longer a concern, for the most part, they could go off on a limb or a tangent and make new discoveries. And what they found was that people in “other” parts of the world were also living unconventional lifestyles.
These ancient travelers discovered that the world is a very diverse place. People in other parts of the world differed very much in terms of cuisine, arts and crafts, languages, dialects, clothes, you name it. And even within those places there were many people who followed their own ideas and lived as outcasts or were honored (if their contributions were valued). I think it would be wise to delve more deeper into the histories of Aztecs, Mayans, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian, Muslim, and “others.” We have the opportunity to learn a lot from these luminaries.
Lifestyle Design is still alive.
The basic idea of consciously designing your lifestyle (as opposed to just going along with popular assumptions) is an ancient idea and will never die.
The more specific notion of The Ferrissian Lifestyle (passive income, travel, debt-free, etc.) is also alive and well.
I wrote a guest post on the subject at Wage Slave Rebel:
http://wageslaverebel.com/2010/02/lifestyle-design-is-still-alive/
You are right….lifestyle designs will never go out of date…The fashion changes every moment….. It never stays stagnant. With ever increasing consciousness about lifestyle designs and with so many fashion platform to dashboard lifestyle and fashion designs….I’m sure, it’ll never die.
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