Picture this: bottles on the counter, toys scattered across the floor, laundry that seems to multiply by the hour, and the soundtrack of baby cries filling the background.
That’s twin motherhood. It’s chaos, yes—but Designing Your Life (DYL) has taught me that chaos isn’t the enemy. In fact, it can be an ally. Change will happen whether I like it or not, so why not welcome it with intention?
Every December, my husband and I create our own little life design retreat. No fancy setup—just us, some coffee, and a notebook. We look back at the year: what worked, what drained us, and what we want to keep nurturing. Then we check in with the present—our energy, our balance, our Life Balance Dashboard. Finally, we design possible futures, knowing that as a family of four now, life looks different.
But here’s the key: my compass hasn’t changed. My direction—my purpose—remains the same. What’s shifted is the path. Motherhood has become the way that brings me into the present and breathes life into that purpose.
This year I’m learning something profound: motherhood is the ultimate prototype. Whether it’s mealtime, sleep routines, or the “perfect” schedule while traveling, each small test shows me what brings more joy, less stress, and a lot of laughter—even if the kitchen ends up looking like a modern art exhibit, naps get messy on the road, or babies just need more cuddling. Instead of panicking, we prototype: adjusting, observing, and laughing at the mess of it all.
Another design hack I hold on to is two-for-one activities that fill multiple tanks at once: love, play, health, and even work. A walk in the park with the twins. Dancing in the living room while holding them. Creating new programs around motherhood while they nap nearby. These moments remind me that design isn’t about doing more—it’s about weaving life together with intention.
Adopting a designer’s mindset keeps me curious instead of judgmental. It reminds me that if something isn’t working, I don’t need to spiral—I can experiment. I ask myself: What’s one small, cheap, fast tweak we can try? As Bill and Dave teach us: fail fast to fail forward. And in motherhood, nothing could be more true.
Yes, I’ve had to let go of old versions of myself—the one who thought she could keep “doing it all” exactly the same way. But in return, I’ve welcomed new versions—ones that know joy can come from a messy picnic on the living room floor, or from designing the next step of my career with two babies by my side.
Gabriela Cevallos is a DYL Certified Coach and Trainer and founder of The Life Experiment
