Hello World. Take a second... think about that. It is a strange phrase to say openly and it be taken with a grain of seriousness - but if you take a moment to consider the sheer awe of this statement it is a particularly powerful acknowledgement - the vast, deep, constantly connected civilization that are the incumbents of this fine earth. We are unceasingly, relentlessly, unapologetically 'plugged in'. We are walking talking forms of Neo, Morpheus, Trinity.
I can hear you now 'yeah, yeah - we get it.... we live in a current state of instant gratification, technology dependent, uninterrupted rapidity... a type of new and categorical social norm... we all know and understand and accept this... point please?"!
I can hear you now 'yeah, yeah - we get it.... we live in a current state of instant gratification, technology dependent, uninterrupted rapidity... a type of new and categorical social norm... we all know and understand and accept this... point please?"!
I'll cut to the chase... I have had a lot of curious folks ask about my 'work life balance'. First off, this hot button topic of professional pursuit is what I consider simply unattainable and a hapless attempt of publishers slapping a concept on 'life' in hopes of gaining a following to their latest and greatest business mag. The grind and goal of achieving a true 'work life balance' will only leave you feeling a further sense of frustration and disillusionment with the homily in and of itself.... and that is because it lacks uniqueness - to THE INDIVIDUAL. The overarching, broad and cloaked concept is not targeted for individual barometers, benchmarks and criteria. It is a mere generalization - a high level blanket statement meant to have us inject another layer of doubt and insecurity into our lifestyle choices.
There is a single appreciation found in the underpinnings of this trope. I believe the mission of the hypothesis is to question... to embrace a moment of solitude and to deeply focus on WHAT we are doing, WHY we are doing it, and WHO we are doing it for... especially in intensive and demanding service professions where the metric of creating is directly correlated with time - both directly and literally. (architecture, design, law, medicine, etc)
So - to get to the crux of the matter. What I am doing here... this thing I am doing for 'WE' - this little company called 'MINDMADE' - carries far more importance and impact and vitality than 'work'... my work is my life and my life is work... they blend, they co-mingle, they co-exist, the boundaries blur into one symbiotic form - a beautiful, exhausting, energetic, deeply emotional, joyous dance. The criticism as a result often comes swiftly and in the form of 'that sounds empty.'... I would retort in effort to keep the banter alive - that it depends on the content, mission and awareness of what it is that you deem worthy of your energy and percentage of your living days - both subject and theme. What I'm saying - or trying to say - is, quite possibly, 'your thing' is empty - because its not worth your time. But this thing - our small thing - is so much more than a job to me ::
- It is my gasoline.
- It provides for my family.
- It provides for small businesses and those entailed families (insurance, consultants, craftsmen, contractors, etc).
- It is a force for good and change
- It is legacy and for future (it extends beyond 'self')
- It is educational (learn, teach, learn, learn)
- It is a challenge (and who doesn't like a good challenge)
- It pushes me and those associated to 'advance' and to continuously strive for excellence.
- It gives... (and I cant stress this point enough - it is not a consumer - it produces, and with the talents we feel are inherent to who we are).
Do what is right for you. Find the thing / office / cause / person you believe in... It is a daily battle and a life guided by intentionality to rise above the noise of third party 'right and wrongs'. We are in a current state of constant and relentless infiltration of folks faces filling a screen with all the right advice (yes, I see the irony here). What worked best for me is that I stopped listening to the masses and started to watch, and think, and create on my own terms. Make your 'work life balance' patented and personal. For me - all the lines overlap - an intricately interwoven nexus of information and knowledge and applications - into the walls of home and work alike. I learn from both realms and I attempt contribution to both - which takes all the pressure off. Running a small business is load enough and all the ones close to me completely understand and support my vision and goals. We drew the map together.
Can I offer some pragmatic, action based advice? (If not interested you can cease engagement here) - talk about it. If you are an employer and have a team by your side... talk to them - set up boundaries together with utmost clarity and respect - even if the requests necessitate further conversations / compromises... the single most pertinent piece of this puzzle is to discuss this significant portion of life with them... and set the table for honest, often uncomfortable conversation. Encourage them to talk to their spouse and get additional feedback... verbalize expectations, needs, wants and all the depths behind the surface level requests. Get to know one another!
I hold a fortress belief on one thing - there is a deep need to rotate our vision and mental perspective regarding generalities. Each person's needs are unique. From client / customer to the children of your team members. The intention of this entry is pure - I'm encouraging two things... to fully embrace consideration of 'life and work in a technical age' and to reject the homogenization of human behavior / needs. As we continue to shift from the industrial age of 'production' into an ever connected digital world, the duty of maintaining contact and consciousness is equally evident as it is paramount. The strength is in the mind of those who observe - and in turn act with crystal clear understanding and a heart towards those around us.
There is a single appreciation found in the underpinnings of this trope. I believe the mission of the hypothesis is to question... to embrace a moment of solitude and to deeply focus on WHAT we are doing, WHY we are doing it, and WHO we are doing it for... especially in intensive and demanding service professions where the metric of creating is directly correlated with time - both directly and literally. (architecture, design, law, medicine, etc)
So - to get to the crux of the matter. What I am doing here... this thing I am doing for 'WE' - this little company called 'MINDMADE' - carries far more importance and impact and vitality than 'work'... my work is my life and my life is work... they blend, they co-mingle, they co-exist, the boundaries blur into one symbiotic form - a beautiful, exhausting, energetic, deeply emotional, joyous dance. The criticism as a result often comes swiftly and in the form of 'that sounds empty.'... I would retort in effort to keep the banter alive - that it depends on the content, mission and awareness of what it is that you deem worthy of your energy and percentage of your living days - both subject and theme. What I'm saying - or trying to say - is, quite possibly, 'your thing' is empty - because its not worth your time. But this thing - our small thing - is so much more than a job to me ::
- It is my gasoline.
- It provides for my family.
- It provides for small businesses and those entailed families (insurance, consultants, craftsmen, contractors, etc).
- It is a force for good and change
- It is legacy and for future (it extends beyond 'self')
- It is educational (learn, teach, learn, learn)
- It is a challenge (and who doesn't like a good challenge)
- It pushes me and those associated to 'advance' and to continuously strive for excellence.
- It gives... (and I cant stress this point enough - it is not a consumer - it produces, and with the talents we feel are inherent to who we are).
Do what is right for you. Find the thing / office / cause / person you believe in... It is a daily battle and a life guided by intentionality to rise above the noise of third party 'right and wrongs'. We are in a current state of constant and relentless infiltration of folks faces filling a screen with all the right advice (yes, I see the irony here). What worked best for me is that I stopped listening to the masses and started to watch, and think, and create on my own terms. Make your 'work life balance' patented and personal. For me - all the lines overlap - an intricately interwoven nexus of information and knowledge and applications - into the walls of home and work alike. I learn from both realms and I attempt contribution to both - which takes all the pressure off. Running a small business is load enough and all the ones close to me completely understand and support my vision and goals. We drew the map together.
Can I offer some pragmatic, action based advice? (If not interested you can cease engagement here) - talk about it. If you are an employer and have a team by your side... talk to them - set up boundaries together with utmost clarity and respect - even if the requests necessitate further conversations / compromises... the single most pertinent piece of this puzzle is to discuss this significant portion of life with them... and set the table for honest, often uncomfortable conversation. Encourage them to talk to their spouse and get additional feedback... verbalize expectations, needs, wants and all the depths behind the surface level requests. Get to know one another!
I hold a fortress belief on one thing - there is a deep need to rotate our vision and mental perspective regarding generalities. Each person's needs are unique. From client / customer to the children of your team members. The intention of this entry is pure - I'm encouraging two things... to fully embrace consideration of 'life and work in a technical age' and to reject the homogenization of human behavior / needs. As we continue to shift from the industrial age of 'production' into an ever connected digital world, the duty of maintaining contact and consciousness is equally evident as it is paramount. The strength is in the mind of those who observe - and in turn act with crystal clear understanding and a heart towards those around us.
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