Re-assessing what matters in work and life
I’ve been thinking, as many no doubt have, about post-lockdown life. Not particularly prompted by Government announcements, which I have found increasingly dreadful, chaotic and out of tune; more through reading, thinking, learning and managing my wellbeing in the current times.
You may have heard of or know about ‘ikigai’. It’s the Japanese word for the secret to a happy life.
The word means ‘reason for being’. I translate that to mean having a purposeful life, which is more than just work or having a job, and which rather combines what you are good at and truly enjoy with what the world out there needs.
In his book ‘The Happiness Equation’ Neil Pasricha talks about the concept of ikigai and lists nine ‘secrets’ to being happy, which I think are worth thinking about for post-lockdown working and living, as a way to change to a better life work balance and re-think priorities. There are three ‘secrets’ that are perhaps relevant for now:
Secret #4 - ‘never retire’. Neil quotes the people of Okinawa who practise ikigai and live longer. He posits that to do this we need to keep thinking, learning, changing and growing and find our reason to wake up in the morning.
Secret #6 - ‘create space’. There are different categories of ‘space’: burn (doing lots), thinking, doing, and space (not doing lots, aka breathing space). How can we make use of the different spaces? Can we make them more balanced?
Secret #7 is ‘just do it’. This is the one about “feel the fear and do it anyway” as the saying goes. For me this is realising that you may need to reach a goal or new direction that takes time, space and motivation going forwards. JDI also involves having a vision or personal mission connected to what you love to do. Motivation comes from doing something, not the other way round.
Conclusions to act on
The three secrets of 'never retire, create space and just do it combine to provide a formula for future thinking.
You make progress by taking a step at a time. It’s like standing at the bottom of a flight of stairs. You can see the top. You know you need to get there, but all you need to focus on is getting on the first step.
Motivation comes from action.
There is no set right or wrong and everyone is different.
To make it work you need to internalise the new ways of thinking and doing you wish to act on.
The boundaries between work and life are blurring. There are better ways to live and work and perhaps now is a time to reflect on ‘never retiring’ in the literal sense, re-thinking one’s profession and vocation and what motivates us to get out of bed in the morning..