Design Your Life To Create Your Freedom
You wake up one morning, check your phone, and notice two things: time feels like it’s slipping through your fingers, and the grind has no brake pedal. Somewhere between the “wake up and grind” posts and the 4 am alarms, we lost the plot on what it means to actually design a life. Design isn’t just about plotting career moves or scouring Pinterest boards for interior aesthetics; it’s about constructing the architecture of freedom. And, no, freedom doesn’t mean working less — it means having more control.
Freedom Isn’t a Goal; It’s a Byproduct
Freedom is the side effect of a well-designed life. It’s the luxury of choosing how to spend your time, where to place your energy, and who deserves a seat at your table. Most people define freedom in the future tense — something to work toward, to be achieved after the right amount of success or the perfect job title. But here’s the kicker: freedom doesn’t wait. If you aren’t inching toward it now, there’s no switch to flip later on.
The goal, then, is designing a life where freedom isn’t a destination; it’s woven into every decision. You don’t just end up with freedom; you create it in every small, deliberate choice.
Step 1: Know Your Metrics
If you don’t know what freedom means to you, you’ll never achieve it. So let’s start with an uncomfortable truth: most people don’t have a clue about what actually makes them happy. We chase other people’s definitions — bigger titles, flashier paychecks, more LinkedIn connections — when none of these are tickets to freedom. Real metrics should measure how much you control your time, whom you work with, and whether you can say “no” without feeling a knot of fear in your stomach.
Here’s a question: If you could redesign every hour of your day, who and what would make the cut? The answer to this question is a starting point. Building a life that feels like yours is about chasing your metrics, not society’s.
Step 2: Declutter Like a Designer
Good designers are ruthless editors. They cut, edit, simplify — sometimes it’s painful, but it’s always necessary. Freedom works the same way. The truth is, we’re all carrying around a suitcase full of commitments and relationships that are more about inertia than intention. Designing your life means pruning it, and that means making tough calls.
Do a mental audit: the people, the obligations, the routines that make up your day. Keep what adds value, eliminate what doesn’t. Simplification isn’t sexy, but it’s the foundation of freedom. Each commitment you eliminate gives you a bit of control back, a sliver of space to make intentional choices.
Step 3: Build Non-Negotiables
When you start building a life by design, there’s a key component: non-negotiables. These are the rituals, routines, and people that you protect fiercely. They’re the immovable objects in your day, the things that ground you and give meaning to all the hustle.
Without these anchors, your life is a treadmill set to someone else’s speed. Non-negotiables give you leverage. They remind you who you are when the world tries to tell you who you should be. Whether it’s 30 minutes of reading, a walk, a family dinner, or simply unplugging, these routines form the bedrock of your freedom. They’re the roots of a life designed with purpose.
Step 4: Embrace Radical Responsibility
The hardest part about designing a life is owning every part of it. We live in a culture that loves the word “freedom” but hates the responsibility that comes with it. Want to be free? Great. Then you need to accept that freedom means having no one to blame when things go wrong.
Take ownership not only of the wins but the misses. Radical responsibility says, “I chose this.” It’s a powerful mindset shift because, when you own every decision, you own the freedom that comes with it. If your life feels crowded, guess who’s holding the pen?
Step 5: Iterate, Don’t Settle
Designing your life isn’t a one-time gig. Life’s a moving target, and that means your version of freedom will evolve. Don’t mistake this for a license to chase shiny objects. Instead, think of it as continuous improvement. This is about testing, iterating, refining — just like a product. Don’t fall in love with the first version of your life; be ruthless in your edits and unapologetic in your redesigns.
The most dangerous trap is complacency. It’s tempting to stop after you’ve hit a certain level of comfort. But if you’re serious about freedom, comfort is the last place you want to be. Keep pushing, keep redesigning, because freedom isn’t a destination; it’s a journey.
The Payoff: A Life That’s Yours
When you design your life, freedom is the reward. And it’s a freedom that doesn’t depend on wealth, status, or titles. It’s about knowing your time, energy, and relationships are exactly where you want them to be. Imagine the feeling of looking around and realizing that every piece of your life feels like you. That’s not an accident; that’s design.
So here’s the final takeaway: Don’t chase freedom. Design for it. Get intentional about every aspect of your life — the people, the work, the rituals — and create a life that feels like a well-crafted piece of art. Freedom is a byproduct of living on purpose, and it’s something you create every day, with every choice, in every moment.
Design your life. Create your freedom.
Hi there, I’m Brian, and in addition to this Medium, I wrote The Main Thing is The Main Thing. As you walk this path, not only do you become a beacon of clarity in a foggy world, but you morph into a version of yourself that’s bolder, brighter, and unapologetically authentic. Make sure your main thing is the lead vocalist, and watch as the symphony around you changes its tune.
