Work-Life Harmony
Today, there is a lot of noise in both spaces of business development and personal development about whether individuals and particularly entrepreneurs should work harder or work smarter.
I have been thinking alot about this through observing alot of successful entrepreneurs through their podcasts, youtube videos, and perspectives and what I can glean from both my own life and the wisdom I have gained through learning about alot of the tactics, mindsets, lifestyles, and habits of some of the most successful and high-performance entrepreneurs in the world.
And I still get confused after doing tons of research because there is a lot of noise out there, and people screaming on both sides of the aisle to hustle yourself to death like Elon Musk and others more calmly preaching to stay ultra relaxed, however I think I am coming closer to the right balance.
I think the answer lies somewhere closer to the middle. Jeff Bezos talks about work-life harmony and the importance of having personal, home and work environments which energize you and build an upward flywheel which I absolutely agree with. Building a flywheel where you can feel your own momentum and progress in work, at home and in your personal life in terms of your health and wellness from a holistic perspective will energize you endlessly.
However, at the same time, you need alot of self-discipline in today’s world, a strong work ethic and strong passion for your work because that is what will keep you going constantly, even during the toughest times and allow you to outperform everyone and find greatness.
Too many people today are still stuck in the 20th century industrial framework of mechanical efficiency. The truth is we live in the 21st century digital age, and efficiency or just clocking in or punching out doesn’t really matter today. Your creative output matters, improving and empowering the lives of others matters, automating and building systems which eliminate lower-level tasks so you can improve your creative output is far more important today. Now that needs to be balanced with a strong work ethic, but creativity is becoming the new productivity in the digital age.
Marker | Creativity Is the New Productivity
This is because more of the old ways of doing business, old jobs and legacy companies and business models are being ripped apart and rethought of in the age of the 4th industrial revolution and the 21st century, and this is especially true as we pivot towards navigating a post-covid world. The answer is also going to be heavily personalized on each person’s situation however, we should all strive to constantly improve the equation to become happier while working and find work which energizes us so we don’t have to be miserable at work, so we don’t have to live for the weekends like Gary Vaynerchuk preaches. Many people are miserable in their jobs from 9-5 Monday through Friday and rush to chill at the club or bars to live for the weekend and most people don’t change their situation. However, the irony of the age we live in today, is that we have the freedom of choice to change our work situation now more than ever. To work how we like and to build our own businesses and to be our own bosses, chase our own dreams and follow our own hearts to build our own destinies. We have entered a permissionless world, where because of the internet you don’t need anyone’s permission do anything. You can do almost anything today without permission from anyone. You still need to earn profits, support yourself, but I think the happier people are with their work, and the more they feel their work brings them energy, happiness, productivity so they bring energy, happiness and productivity to others in an upward cycle.
Other influencers who I like are Evan Carmichael and Andy Frisella who talk about the importance of service. If you serve others and help others than you will be more successful as you help more people become more successful and you will be happier. So if you can align what you do with what you love and with what serves others while earning money, you can create abundance in your own life as well as uplift others. The tough thing about this is that you have to very carefully balance efficiency and productivity in order to get things done on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, with your higher purpose and vision. You have to balance productivity and performance with your vision and purpose to make sure you are effective in achieving the goals in the micro or the short-term to help you win and stick to your vision in the long-term. There may be pivots but the closer you stay towards achieving your long-term vision and staying aligned with your purpose and core values, the more fulfilled and happier you will be.
We can all use more of meditation, spirituality, health and wellness, and supporting each other and uplifting each other in everything we do from wellness to business to whatever. We should use less of social media, watching all the negative news media, technology, smartphones and the internet unless you’re using it for work or business. We have also got to exercise more, socialize more and do more things in the real world, rather than through technology. I think minimalism especially with regards to using technology very carefully and mindfully will decrease alot of the modern day stress, anxiety, overwhelm and burnout that we are facing. It’s very hard to disconnect in today’s noisy and hyperconnected world, where the pressure to stay connected and “always-on” is very high.
The reason is this way you can maximize your work and business and minimize your stress and burnout. This is why I constantly stress the importance of mindfulness. If you are constantly present in the moment, then you can maxout both your business success and can maintain work life balance or harmony. Today, with all the distractions out there, it’s never been easier to lose your focus and tip over. Silicon Valley executives who are responsible for much of the modern marvels we have today with addictive social media and smartphones use it the least and are very carefully about how and why they use technology.
Mitigating Pandemic Stress and Burnout
Information Epidemic, Protecting Your Attention in the Attention Economy, Digital Mindfulness
Thriving in a Stressful Day and Age with Mindfulness, Meditation and Ikigai
Dopamine Fasting & Digital Detox