Are we busy with the wrong things?
I was supposed to be retired by now.
The plan was as ambitious as it was simple: save as much money as humanly possible, then FIRE: financial independence, retire early. As a government and nonprofit leader, I wasn't making extravagant sums. But I was able to bank every pay raise and snowball our debt away. Between my wife's income and mine, we were on track to retire at 50. Then three things happened:
Life got more expensive.
I stepped away from my job to start a business, and our income dropped pretty dramatically for a couple of years.
I found a purpose and meaning that were lacking in so many of my past jobs, and was able to structure work around life instead of the other way around.
Now I'm at a point where I'm not sure when I'll retire, because I could see myself doing this work a little, or a lot, for a very long time.
My story isn't unique. As two recent TIME articles illustrate, more people are realizing the old learn-work-retire model doesn't fit the lives we're actually living.
"The three stage life is over," declared a Stanford researcher. In other words, the idea has been that we learn, then we work, then we retire. In reality, these stages blend together for many of us. We're taking on learning experiences throughout our careers, and some of us are taking sabbaticals or mini-retirements. At every age, employees can flow in or out of work.
Meanwhile, work continues to bring its own challenges. We're stuck in a system that mistakes motion for progress. From the Asana Anatomy of Work Index, knowledge workers spend on average: 103 hours in unnecessary meetings, 209 hours on duplicative work and 352 hours talking about work.
That's per year. And as a result, 88 percent say they're falling behind on time-sensitive projects and major initiatives. Countries that work fewer hours have stronger economies, but we still measure effectiveness in hours instead of outcomes.
If you feel like part of your job is to perform busyness, you're not alone. I've been there, and most of my clients have too.
So, what to do if you feel like it's time to break out of this cycle?
The common thread in my work is simply an appetite for change. Some clients are ready to step off the treadmill entirely, while others want to redesign how they engage with work. Whether you're seeking a career transition, retirement or a sabbatical, I know you can build something that fits your life better. And I'd love to support you as you do this.