This reminds me of how I see “location independents” trying to define what that means and how they are the epitome of lifestyle design.

I personally believe there are definitive phases of what the term stands for but the definition is but not definitive personality types of goals. These phases or explanations are tied to a much higher set of ideals than quit your job, or travel a lot. (I’m with you in bringing this to awareness with Gordie…lets hammer home a spot for this definition? Wikipedia? ehh?)

The implications of the term fall more in line with setting goals, living on your own terms, living intelligently and with awareness…becoming financially free or in control to continue living your dreams.

Thanks for stirring this up JD and for taking all the heat it’s bringing…good conversation! .-= Robert´s last blog ..Helping Alan – Mac Tools and Tech for Freelancers =-.

1. Passive Income – most of my income is generated passively through investments, otherwise I work about 10 hours a week doing consulting, having to go into a physical office about once a month or so
2. Not working 9 to 5 – nope, don’t do that but did it for years
3. Being Unconventional – I suppose so, since I semi-retired at 44
4. Some minimalism with regards to personal possessions – am decluttering but am not completely minimalist
5. Travel (living in an “exotic” location, and/or moving around frequently) – currently working while on a one week ski trip, going on a cruise in 2 weeks and planning a multi-month RV sabbatical starting in July
6. Saving money, but not for it’s own sake (there’ no point of having a million dollars in your bank account just for the bragging rights. Money should be used to follow your dreams) – yup, saved up just under a million in order to be able to follow those dreams without having to get paid for them
7. Doing what you’re passionate about (now that you have all that free time from completing point 1) – yup, enjoy renovating houses, taking care of my kids, volunteering, traveling, reading
8. Having a good life – absolutely

So would someone like Jacob at Early Retirement Extreme be considered a “Lifestyle Designer”? Or is he not a designer because he doesn’t like to travel and makes most of his money off passive investment in the stock market like I do?

http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html

I guess what I find confusing is that the people who are the most gung-ho about ‘lifestyle design’ (the Tim version) don’t seem to actually be DOING it – yet. They don’t seem to be making a passive income, some aren’t traveling, some are actually in debt or willing to carry debt to fund the dream. .-= Jacqueline´s last blog ..What’s a foot in the door worth? =-.

With regards to these people, you said: “Would they not also be lifestyle designers?”

There we go with semantics again. By the definition of the words themselves, then yes, the happy 9-to-5 people would qualify as lifestyle designers. But by the common accepted definition of Lifestyle Design, then no, these people would not qualify.

Look, I do see your point, to a degree. Maybe we should invent a new phrase, which means the same thing as Lifestyle Design, but with the added benefit that the words themselves are more specific. We could call it: The “passive income, minimalism, travel, not working 9-to-5″ Lifestyle, or “The Ferrisesque Lifestyle” or something. Then we could stop worrying about semantics.

With regards to “Success”: “at least ‘success’ has a universally understood positive connotation” Thus, it does have some value as a word, even if that value is pretty low.

“Lifestyle Design has no such universal understanding and most people have never even heard the phrase.” Well, most people have never heard of Jeet Kun Do, but that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless or dead. And among those who have heard about Lifestyle Design, there is a universally-understood positive connotation! Find 100 random people who claim to understand Lifestyle Design. Then ask these people weather LD is supposed to be positive, negative, or neutral. I guarantee that almost everyone will identify LD as positive. That’s not to say that the LD lifestyle (or “Ferrisesque Lifestyle”, or whatever) is necessarily the ideal for all people, but nevertheless it’s supposed to be positive for at least some people. Thus, the term “Lifestyle Design” does indeed imply the living of a positive life.

And alright, I’ll concede that you don’t use the word “Success”. But you did say this: “Passion and Care [...] those words certainly have meaning.”

I agree that we should pursue our Passions, and we should Care for others. But if you’re going to dismiss all terms that seem vague, you’ll end up dismissing your own terms.

Look here: Passion – noun – Any great, powerful emotion, especially love or hate. (also: fervor, determination) The definition of passion doesn’t require a good emotion, just an emotion. The word “Passion” in and of itself has no valuable meaning. Passion is the Barack Obama of words. A few highly positive but ambiguous ideas were attached to it (Goals, Freedom, Travel, Dreams, Art) so that it could become a blank slate on which anyone could write all their positive aspirations, whatever they might be. ergo: Passion is Dead!

See how that works?

Again, I kindof see what you’re saying. But you should have phrased your argument as “Not everyone finds joy with the LD lifestyle (i.e. the Tim Ferris lifestyle)”, rather than “Lifestyle Design is meaningless, because it’s too vague”. .-= Sonicsuns´s last blog ..Have less stuff =-.

Thanks for stopping by!

As for your “Success” example, I also don’t use it to describe anything. It’s just a vaguely positive term that can mean literally anything to anyone. So, in a way, yes “Success is dead.” However, at least “success” has a universally understood positive connotation. Lifestyle Design has no such universal understanding and most people have never even heard the phrase. Maybe one day that will change and “lifestyle design” will be on par with “success”, but it will still be useless. Just universally positive.

Gordie at LifestyleDesignForYou.com and myself have decided to try and “resurrect” the term lifestyle design by trying to develop a more concrete and useful definition. Feel free to take part in the conversation. http://lifestyledesignforyou.com/2010/02/lifestyle-design-not-dead/

Your last paragraph nailed it. Excellent advice!

We should most certainly respect the traditions of a non-conformist past, but even more we should embrace them. I think it is definitely a result of postmodernism that these people break down these established traditions and storied histories, discarding the good with the bad, and then placing themselves at the top of a mountain made of sand. It’s a kind of youthful arrogance that I completely distrust.