Bill Burnett co-teaches a legendary course at Stanford that applies design thinking to the “wicked” problem of planning life and career. When approaching big decisions, he recommends using these “power tools” of his trade:

1. Embrace curiosity — it’s the mindset that gives you the energy to overcome fear and procrastination
2. Prototype your way forward through conversations and experiences
3. Reframe as a way to get unstuck from seemingly unsolvable problems

Burnett is an adjunct professor of mechanical engineering and executive director of Stanford’s Life Design Lab.