How Do You Design a Meaningful Life | Bill Burnett & Dave Evans - EP 755
4/16/20261 hr 3 min
What if the reason you feel unfulfilled is that you’ve been approaching it all wrong?
In this episode of Passion Struck, I sit down with Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, the visionary minds behind Stanford's Life Design Lab and co-authors of How to Live a Meaningful Life. We tackle one of personal growth’s biggest myths: that meaning is something you find.
Instead, Bill and Dave present a groundbreaking concept—meaning is something you design.
We delve into why high-achievers often feel "fine but empty," why success doesn’t guarantee fulfillment, and how our transactional world traps us in outcomes over experiences. Our conversation uncovers a transformative framework for building a meaningful life through small experiments, curiosity, and intentional action, all without drastic life changes.
This conversation will change how you think about purpose, passion, and what it really means to live fully alive.
Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering.
Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/designing-a-meaningful-life/
Explore companion insights for this episode at: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/stop-planning-your-life-start-wayfinding
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We also dive into:
- Why many feel “fine” outwardly, yet unfulfilled inside
- Distinguishing meaning, fulfillment, and happiness—and avoiding the confusion
- Why “follow your passion” can mislead—and the better alternative
- Using design thinking and prototyping to cultivate purpose
- The contrast between transactional and flow worlds—and where true meaning resides
- How actions, rather than waiting, create clarity
- The impact of small moments of awe and curiosity on lasting meaning
- The vital role of community in the journey to meaning
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Clips
Showing 10 of 12Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJohn Miles· Host0:00
Coming up next on Passion Struck We flip the micro-erasures that you're talking about, people not noticing and letting life get away from them into inking it down.
Dave Evans· Guest0:08
And that's why one of our exercises is the savoring exercise. [laughs] Try to pay attention while you're living life. But if life goes by at real 1X speed, if you're... I'm watching this on stream, I could 1.2X or I could .7X it. Life is 1.0X all the time, and it's too fast to fully appreciate it. So grab some of those moments, come back to them later, and do a deep savoring exercise, then you not only don't erase it, you get to keep it.
John Miles· Host0:31
[upbeat music] Welcome to Passion Struck. I'm your host, John Miles. This is the show where we explore the art of human flourishing and what it truly means to live like it matters. Each week, I sit down with change-makers, creators, scientists, and everyday heroes to decode the human experience and uncover the tools that help us lead with meaning, heal what hurts, and pursue the fullest expression of who we're capable of becoming. Whether you're designing your future, developing as a leader, or seeking deeper alignment in your life, this show is your invitation to grow with purpose and act with intention. Because the secret to a life of deep purpose, connection, and impact is choosing to live like you matter. [upbeat music] Hey, friends, and welcome back to episode 755 of Passion Struck. Over the past few weeks, we've been building something intentionally together in this April series, Purpose