A Great Career, or A Great Life?

‘Why can’t I have both?’ I know this is what you would say. Isn’t it about striking a balance between the two!

As I sit down to reflect on the year gone by and think about the ones that are unfolding; I wonder about my life, my family & friends, my community, and the planet we call home!

As per a Harvard University study, secret to a happy life , people that are healthiest & happiest are the ones that have warm & meaningful relationships and social connections.

Being healthy & joyful by making and keeping good friends sounds like fun and should be easy for most, I think. I take a closer look at my own life and people I deeply care for and know enough about. It really makes me sad to see that only 1 in 10 seems to get it right, 2 somehow make it work, 7 really struggle. Why, I wonder!?

I dig a little deeper.

In high-income countries, chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability. Globally, more than 70 % of deaths are due to chronic diseases and more than 87% in the United States. It is also?estimated ?that 1 in 4 people around the world suffer from a mental health condition and there’s a mental health pandemic in the making. Seems like, in the pursuit of material comfort & convenience, we are creating an increasing complex world that’s detrimental to our own health and that of the planet we live in!

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Why do we work against our own wellbeing?!

There is ‘LIFE’ that has evolved over millions of years (or the way God created!) and there is another we human beings call ‘Life’. Not making a clear distinction between the two is where, in my experience, the confusion begins!

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The Life that’s part of this magnificent Creation is blissful, and full of unhindered intelligence. It does not have any purpose; it’s true nature is to thrive. It is joyful by default, until we mess it up with what we call Life. We were all bursting with joy & ecstasy as children, till we were put in a class & ranked among others…shifting our focus permanently from being ‘joyful’, to being ‘better’ than the others! From being true to our nature, to proving our superiority to others!! From turning inward for self-discovery, to pursue material comfort & social success!!!

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Then comes the tricky part, the social construct we call ‘CAREER’, and confuse with Life. Before we realize, our careers become more about riding the social/corporate ladder and making more money than others because that’s what we were taught in the class early on! Instead of doing what gives us joy, taking care of our families, friends, and community; we chase jobs that give us more money so we can have a bigger house, a better car, a better school, better healthcare…moving far away from what makes life blissful and why we started in the first place!

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So, how do we deal with this?

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First & foremost, start by separating your Life from what you do (your career). You can have a Great Life, even if your career is mediocre. This should be your true North Star. You should be 100% ON Life, all the time. This is not what you should compromise on, no matter what. If you get this right, everything will fall in place!

Take care of your mental health. Be like a child, joyful by nature and happy with who you are. Easier said than done, but that’s good enough to get the basics right. If you want to go deeper you could explore Inner Engineering .

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Be physically fit, go to the gym if you don’t do enough physical work. Eat well and sleep well. Don’t let stress get to you, dissolve it with friends or in the gym. See your doctor regularly, prevention is better than cure. Listen to Andrew Huberman if you want to understand better. Follow Peter Diamandis if you want to live 100 years or more.

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If you are married or have a life partner, make sure you have a common vision and clear understanding of what each one of you bring to the table. If you are looking for one, make sure you are aligned before you commit. Be in a relationship to give, you will receive more in return. If you can’t nurture a relationship, don’t get into one!

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Next, is to understand what your job & career mean to you. Be crystal clear about what you want to do, how much time are you going to devote to ‘work’ and set ‘money goals’ based on what you need, and not on what you want. Doing this part right will leave you clear in the head to have a Great Life.

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Yes, it is stupid to not aspire for more, but it is foolish not to know the risks and prepare well before taking the leap. A bicycle cannot be a car. All cars are not Ferraris. Neither the bi-cycle nor the car should be in a F1-racing track. If you really want to race, first know who you are, choose your race and prepare well before you start!

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The ‘Triangle-Framework’ works well for me. 1. What am I naturally good at? (what comes effortlessly to me, and more I do it, I enjoy it more) 2. Can I put in the hours to excel at honing that into an expertise the market is willing to pay a premium for? 3. Can I find a job or build a business with that expertise? Does it have enough demand for me to make a decent living out of it?

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If you love what you do, you will do more of it. That will build your expertise. Don’t be afraid of new technologies (Generative AI, Quantum, Blockchain et al.). Use them well to sharpen your play. If you are in customer facing roles, new technologies will help you engage them better. If you are in delivery roles, it will make you more productive. If you are in support functions, make sure your work contributes directly to revenue growth & profitability.

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Compensation (Money) is the naughtiest of all. Too much is stressful, too little is a killer. What’s your Networth? How much do you need now and when you retire (25 times of your current incomes usually works!)? Calibrate this well to make time for Life.

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Each one of us is equally capable of experiencing the JOY of LIFE, irrespective of what circumstance we are born into and how much money we have. Don't fall into the trap, stay clear!

If all these sound like too much work, make sure you have 3 close friends – a Doctor, an Accountant (money man) and a Mentor.

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Happy New Year.

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Image Credits:

https://www.diamond-consultants.com/multi-generational-teams-at-a-crossroads-wirehouse-sunset-program-or-independence/

https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/girl-jumping-against-sunset-sky-3001-vector-1411407