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Because a life well-lived doesn’t happen by accident—it’s designed.

For a long time, I planned my life around work. Deadlines first. PTO second. Rest somewhere down the list—if it fit.

This year, I’m flipping the script.

Instead of asking “How do I squeeze life into my schedule?” I’m asking:
“How do I design my year around the life I want to live?”

That’s where Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure—LTL—comes in.

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🌿 Lifestyle: Build the Systems First

Lifestyle is the infrastructure. It’s the routines, boundaries, and systems that quietly support everything else.

For me, designing lifestyle means:

• Creating weekly rhythms instead of rigid schedules
• Building systems that simplify, not optimize me into exhaustion
• Protecting mornings, movement, and moments of quiet

I plan lifestyle first because it determines my energy. And energy—not time—is the real constraint.

Design question:
What systems would make my everyday life feel lighter?

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✈️ Travel: Plan the Anchors, Not Every Detail

Travel doesn’t need to be extravagant to be meaningful. Some of my favorite trips were short, intentional, and thoughtfully placed throughout the year.

Instead of overplanning, I design travel anchors:

• One trip that stretches me
• One trip that rests me
• A few microadventures that remind me I don’t have to go far to feel alive

Travel goes on the calendar early—before the year fills itself in for me.

Design question:
Where do I want to feel different this year?

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🎨 Leisure: Treat Joy Like a Non-Negotiable

Leisure used to feel optional. Something I earned after being productive.

Now, I treat it like fuel.

Leisure is where I:

• Try new hobbies without needing to be good
• Create with my hands (paint, sew, build, explore)
• Play without outcomes

When leisure is scheduled, joy stops being accidental.

Design question:
What makes me lose track of time—in a good way?

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🧠 The STEMinist Takeaway: Design Is a Choice

Engineers don’t wait for systems to fix themselves—we design better ones.

Life is no different.

Designing a year around Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure doesn’t mean doing less. It means doing what matters on purpose.

This year, I’m not chasing balance.
I’m building alignment.

And I’m letting the year unfold from there.

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Here’s your gentle nudge:
You don’t need a new planner.
You need a new priority order.

Design accordingly. 💛

#LTLLiving #IntentionalLife #DesignYourYear #STEMinistMindset