Future of Work: Conquering Your Biggest Challenge

In writing Future Strong, and again in designing the Future Strong Assessment Tool, I’ve found that the biggest challenge that most of us will face is NOT massive disruptions, or losing our jobs, or Robopocalypse, or mastering new technologies. Instead, for most of us, it’s us. We have found the enemy and he is us.

The 80/20 Rule of Inner Knowingness applies to most of us. 20% of us truly know who we are, and why, and how to leverage that. 80% of us believe we know who we are but, in reality, we have done only 20% of the work necessary to truly know ourselves.

Why this is so crucial: When living in a VUCA world, where every next thing is filled with massive uncertainty... When everything you knew and did yesterday is totally disrupted today... The one think you need to draw on, your north star, is what makes you, you.

I've also discovered the Magical 80/20 Rule of Crucible Moments. (These are the experiences in our lives that test us, teach us invaluable lessons, or push us beyond what we thought we were capable of.) Those who leverage their crucible moments as a tool to keep their values and passions urgent and driving their daily routines find that: 80% of the time they are relentless in staying focused on what truly matters; 20% of the time they struggle too, just like all of us.

In the past, many of us wouldn’t worry about deep inner knowingness until roughly the half-way point in our lives — around 40+ years old or so. But now, with so many competing priorities pulling at us, with so many opportunities for massive disruptions in our lives, it is crucial to constantly call upon what makes you, you...beginning in your early twenties.

The real challenge is that 80% of us are walking around believing we truly know ourselves, when we don’t really.

I’ve lived through this several times. Personally: As my 27-year marriage was coming to an end, I truly believed it was mostly because that the magic had gone. Since then, I’ve realized how much more I could have done to be a better husband. Professionally: I’ve had my own firm for over 30 years. Even though the company has always had a mission statement, it wasn’t until after seven years of running the business that I figured out a mission that truly was unique to me and my vision.

This situation is common to most of us. It’s the Blind Spot and Unknown space in something called Johari’s Window. 360° feedback, peer reviews, coaches and mentors can help you with your Blind Spots — things that others can see, but your internal biases keep you from seeing them. But the Unknown space is tough for most of us — you don’t know what you don’t know! For most of us, that’s where our inner truths sit.

The best method I have found that works for most people is a continuous loop of introspective journaling, then sharing what you’ve journaled, gathering other’s reactions, then repeating the process over and over.

The act of communicating what you’ve uncovered so far is key. It helps expose inconsistencies and problems with our own thinking. After you’ve repeated the process several times, those untruths fade, and the inner truth emerges.

I’ve also discovered, as TV’s Dr. House often proclaimed, “Everybody lies” (to themselves). I’ve found a great journaling method to combat that, and keep oneself honest to inner truths and to what truly matters. Write a Legacy Letter. This kind of letter was the basis of my fourth book, What Is Your Life’s Work?

Full instructions can be found here, but here’s the short version:

• Pretend you’ll die tomorrow. (Sorry. We’ll miss you!)
• Write a 1—3 page letter to a loved one (child, spouse, etc.), detailing the values, priorities and lessons you've learned that are most important for you to pass on to that loved one.

The brevity (no more than three pages) forces you to select only the truths and values that matter the most. And writing down the legacy you wish to leave usually strips away most of the bullshit and sanitized versions of the truth.

Somewhere in that Legacy Letter will be one of your biggest crucible moments. Somewhere in that letter will be what makes you, you. Share that letter with your loved one. Discuss it.

Suddenly you will find unknowns are no longer unknowable. And you will start to see and understand what you hadn’t before.

Finally, with that inner knowingness now known... And you're ready to figure out what to do with knowing what makes you, you... Check out the Japanese tool, Ikigai, which means "reason for being."

Oh, the places you'll go!

It's an illustrated fable, based on real-world data of where we're headed, and real-world situations we will all face. The book, the community, and lots of bonus goodies will be going live through Kickstarter within the next few months. If you'd like to pre-read it now, for free, just email me: [email protected] (or lemme know with a message below.) I'll happily email it to you!