AEIOU Can Change Your Life

As some of you may know, I am a fan of the Stanford Design Program. Brian Spicker recently told me about a wonderful book their professors have written entitled Designing Your Life. It is based on the tenets of “Human Centered Design”.

And, for those of you who have been coached by me, you may remember that I some times ask you to “track yourself” daily on how the day has been for you. Well, this book has a process that really has you keep track of yourself and zoom in on what is working for you in your life and what is not. Otherwise you may be living a life of “quiet desperation” and not even know it!

It is called AEIOU. And here is how it can change your life:

A=Activities

What were you actually doing? Was this a structured or an unstructured activity? Did you have a specific role to play or were you just a participant?

E=Environments

Our environment has a profound effect on our emotional state. You feel one way at a football stadium, another in a cathedral. Notice where you were involved in the activity. What kind of a place was it and how did it make you feel?

I-Interactions

What were you interacting with—people or machines? Was it a new kind of interaction or one you are familiar with? Was it formal or informal?

O=Objects

Were you interacting with any objects or devices—iPads or smartphones, hockey sticks or sailboats? What were the objects that created or supported your feeling engaged?

U=Users

Who else was there, and what role did they play in making it either a positive or negative experience?

You track all of the above in a “Good Time Journal.”

1.    Complete a log of your daily activities, measuring your engagement on a scale of lo to hi and measuring your energy on a scale of negative to positive…for each activity.

2.    Do this daily logging for at least three weeks.

3.    At the end of each week, jot down your reflections…notice which activities are engaging and energizing, and which ones are not.

4.    Are there any surprises in your reflections?

5.    Zoom in and try to get even more specific about what does or does not engage and energize you.

6.    Use the AEIOU method as needed to help you in your reflections.

Then you can make choices about how you want to spend your time! Buy this book and it may transform your life!