Join us for the next Pathfinder event on August 13, for an interactive workshop based on the book Designing Your Life, guided by ANU alumnus, Benjamin Gill (BSc 2016). During the workshop, Ben will we will discuss how the emphasis on finding your passion or the notion that you ‘should’ know where you are going in life, can in fact be limiting.

Designers create worlds and solve problems using design thinking. Look around your office or home – at the tablet or smartphone you may be holding or the chair you are sitting in. Everything in our lives was designed by someone. And every design starts with a problem that a designer or team of designers seeks to solve.

In the book, Designing Your Life (DYL), Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are. The same design thinking responsible for amazing technology, products, and spaces can be used to design and build your career and your life, a life of fulfilment and joy, constantly creative and productive, one that always holds the possibility of surprise.

About the presenter

Image

Benjamin Gill

Benjamin Gill is an alumnus of both College of Science and the College of Engineering and Computer Science, with an interest in the intersection of technology and social change, and the opportunities they present to help improve people’s lives. Reading ‘Designing Your Life’ was a game-changer for Ben and challenged the traditional notions of career and success he held onto without even realising. Ben has used the principles in the book to guide him at several key crossroads in his life – from deciding to start a PhD (and eventually whether to quit or not), whether to start a role in an entirely new sector, and how we wanted to show up and be present with his family when a loved one was diagnosed with cancer. Ben is excited to share and discuss this content with others, and while he is not an expert in Life Design, he is a believer in the power of change through reflection and community.

Designing Your Life book club

If after completion of the workshop, you feel inspired to continue the Designing Your Life journey, there will be an opportunity to join a Designing Your Life Book Club commencing late August to work through the book together. The group will meet every three to four weeks for discussions guided by Ben, and will serve as a place to share reflections, ask questions, seek feedback on activities, and importantly, to provide accountability. More information on completion of the workshop.