Be Your Own Architect: How to Design Your Life

Posted On 11 April 2025

Do you believe that you are in control of your life? In this post I am going to lay out what you can do to design your life. Yes, you can be the architect of your life!

When we look at blueprints for a house, we can see the systems that are normally hidden within the walls, under the floors, and in the ceiling. Today we are going to go over the systems and things in our lives – and we’re going to look at them as architects.

In this post I will be discussing the concept of being an architect from a construction point of view. If you would rather think of being an architect in a business deal point of view, go ahead and think of it that way. Instead of thinking of how you would like the building to look, think about how you would structure the deal so that it not just works, but it the best it can possibly be.

The Blueprint of Our Reality

Before an architect starts drawing the plans for a house, they will start with a collection of ideas. These can be pictures of features that are wanted in the house. The homeowner will also discuss what they would like the house to have and even features that they do not want the house to have.

Now, the only place we can start to make changes in our lives is to acknowledge where we currently are right now. This may not be pleasant. It may involve looking at what we have in our life and the results we are getting and admitting that what we’ve been doing is not getting us the results we want. It is important to also look at what we are doing that is working for us.

Unlike an architect designing a new building, we are making changes to an existing building (or person!). What would you like to be different? Maybe a wall needs to be removed, or a wall needs to be added. Maybe it’s just something as minor as a fresh coat of paint that is needed. The changes can be as big or as minor as you want them to be.

Laying the Foundation: Self-Perception and Belief Systems

How we see ourselves is what shapes our belief system. If you would rather call them soundtracks like Jon Acuff does, do that. These soundtracks are the thoughts that we replay in our mind – often on repeat! Are we repeating self-defeating stories about ourselves, life in general, money, or relationships that we heard from our parents? …from ourselves? …from bosses (both past and present)? … or from strangers?

Let me tell you a story about myself. Back in grade school I was told that I did my schoolwork slow. In many jobs that I had, do you know what the most complaint that bosses had with me? You guessed it – I was slow! After hearing that repeatedly, I had come to believe that.

I’ve replaced that soundtrack with some different ones. 1) I do quality work. 2) I am dependable. 3) I give more value than expected. 4) It’s faster to do the job right the first time than to have to go back and fix things later. Now, I focus on what I do well.

A great way to change your self-perception is through writing affirmations every morning. Stating your affirmations in both the positive and present are key. I don’t recommend lying to yourself! Instead of saying that you are a millionaire when you are not is a lie. An honest approach is to say, “Money flows to me easily and often.” or “Money is always available to me.” That keeps it believable, positive, and present.

Designing Your Life: Intention, Vision, and Strategy

When you design your life, you are both the homeowner and the architect. Collect pictures of what you would like to have in your life. They can be pictures that your use as wallpaper for your computer, or they can make up a vision board. Find things you dream of having or doing.

As you examine your life, you will probably see things in your life that you do not want in your life. The good news is that you are the architect! Get rid of the things that are no longer serving you. If you are not able to get rid of them right now, you can start making plans to get rid of them.

Maybe you hate your current job. Don’t quit it just yet! Start by figuring out what job you would like to have. Do you need any training for that new job? You can also start acting like the person who already has that position. Say you want to be a manager. (That doesn’t mean bossing people around because you want to be the boss!) Does a successful manager make excuses, or do they find solutions? Start accepting opportunities that come your way at work – just like a manager would.

Constructing Reality: Habits, Discipline, and Action

The next step in becoming an architect is to start creating the habits that allow you to design your life. It’s great that you have an idea of what direction you would like to see your life move. By developing daily habits, you will start to see changes begin to happen.

Small habits can be more impactful because they are easy to do! For example, say you want to be wealthy. You don’t need to run out and get a new car in order to start acting that way. Would you take better care of a new car than your current car? If the answer is yes, start taking care of your current car like it was new! Wash it regularly. Take the trash out of the car with us on a daily basis instead of just letting it accumulate.

Start assuming the habits of the person you want to be. Are you wanting to start your own business? Start acting like a business owner or company president! They don’t wait for permission, they take action. You can do the same thing!

Mindset as Your Blueprint: Resilience, Adaptability, and Flow

When we start working from a blueprint, we can see what we need to do. Some things will have to wait until other things are done first. That’s fine, and that means you don’t have to concern yourself with those things right now. You still know what you want to add, so you can be aware of what is coming next and get prepared for it.

To effectively design your life, you learn from the past, plan for the future, and live in the present. Focus on what you are doing now. Live life and make course corrections as you go. Not everything will work out as planned – often life ends up working out even better that we had expected!

When we are doing what we love, it doesn’t feel like work. We can enter a state of flow, or as it is also called, “The Zone”. Operating in a state of flow we can find that we lose our sense of time – Hours fly by like minutes, and minutes can stretch out and feel like hours. It is a magical place to be.

The Community Factor: Building Your Network and Influence

When you design your life, make sure to include other people. No person is an island. We are all part of the human family, and we can get more done by working with others than we can by working alone.

In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins wrote about how the companies that transitioned from good to great focused on getting the right people on the bus and then getting the right people in the right seats. We can do that in our lives as well. There can be people in our lives that are holding us back. We may need to limit our time with them.

The people in our lives are a part of our total wealth. We can learn from each other, work with each other, and give to each other. Building a network of quality people can be more valuable than the money we have in the bank.

The Finishing Touches: Creativity & Play

If you are anything like me, you want to design your life to be uniquely you. A great place to start is by questioning mainstream paradigms for unique perspectives. I like to ask if there is a better way to do it. As a result, I have found many things that can be done differently. A different thing I found was the Dvorak keyboard. I struggled with the Qwerty keyboard from the time I first started typing until I found out about the Dvorak keyboard in 2006. I was able to learn to touch type on that keyboard, and I still use it today.

Life is for livin’, lovin’, and laughin’, not whinin’, worryin’, and workin’! When you design your life, think of Dr. Seuss: unleashing the creative, playful side – life is an art. When we can learn to laugh at ourselves and give ourselves permission to have fun, life becomes more enjoyable – both for us and for those around us.

Becoming the Author of Your Story

It doesn’t matter whether you call yourself an architect or the author of your story. What matters is recognizing that you hold the power to shape your life. While we cannot rewrite our past, we can learn from it and consciously design our future.

Today is your opportunity to pick up the blueprint pencil and start designing. Begin with that big, audacious dream that’s been waiting in the wings of your mind. Then break it down into actionable goals that will serve as the framework for your new reality.

What one wall will you tear down this week? What foundation will you strengthen today? Choose one area of your life to redesign first—your career, relationships, health, or personal development—and commit to taking three specific actions in the next seven days.

Remember: true architects don’t just dream about buildings—they create detailed plans and then bring those plans to life, one intentional step at a time. By becoming the architect of your life, you’re taking the first powerful step toward becoming truly unstoppable! Feel free to reach out if you need help finding your blueprint pencil. Your masterpiece awaits!