"Work-Life" vs "Life's Work"

When it comes to my job, I don’t see what I do as an endeavor in “work-life”.?

Rather, I see this journey to my current, winding adventure as "life’s work”.?

That wasn’t always the case.?

Like all of us, I wanted to make my mark. I wanted to be seen for my talents. I was up for the challenge of conquering the corporate ladder. And I wanted to be compensated appropriately for doing so.

But as I get older, I try to be more intentional about the way I spend my time.?

To be clear:

I was never into “work-life balance”.

I was more into "work-life integration”.

This is not to knock the above.?

Rather, a personal choice.?

I had a conversation with a loved one recently who didn’t exactly love their profession. ?

Just the opposite.?

They got to the point where they were just going through the motions at work.?

Might as well be sleeping through the job.?

My response?

Let me get this straight.?

You sleep at night.?

Then you sleepwalk through the day??

All to pick up a few hours of “you time” late at night once your kids are asleep?

That seems like no way to live.?

Here’s an exercise…

Chart the amount of time you spend on work.?

Chart the amount of time you spend on you.?

What do the numbers look like?

Are you happy with the allocations?

It’s hard to admit when something needs to change. I was 40 when I was sitting in my big fancy office realizing that I wasn’t happy doing what I was doing anymore. I was never more angry realizing to myself of this reality.?

Five years later?

I’m truly happy.?

The five years in between?

They weren’t always easy.?

But today, because I had the courage to not lie to myself, I get to help leaders and companies address the hard stuff; where they might be stuck, scared, stale or playing it safe.?

This is life’s work.?

Not work-life.?

Doing what you love? Bravo.?

Sleeping through the job? Don’t lie to yourself.?

Need help? Reach out. Seriously. Been there done that.?

THE COURAGEOUS PODCAST

Hailing from the UK, Nick Bell 's childhood consisted of collecting soccer stickers of his favorite athletes. As an adult, he’s transitioned this passion to trading cards, reigning as CEO of Fanatics Live, the foremost platform for sports card breaking. Having previously held positions at tech giants Google and Snap, Nick delves into how he's using data to capitalize on the resurgence of the collectible trading card market. Ryan and Nick explore the intricacies of building relationships with iconic figures like LeBron James and reflect on Nick's experiences at Snap, including the complexities of taking the company public and the invaluable lessons learned, like the importance of reverse-engineering goals to achieve success.

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Ryan Berman is the founder of Courageous; a think-feel-do change consultancy based in Southern California. With 25 years in creative business, Ryan believes your “future is safe with change”. Ryan is a speaker, practitioner, and authority on the subject who has been featured in Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Inc, and Forbes. Ryan has spoken on the topic all over the country including at Google, Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Kraft Heinz, Logitech, Discover Card, and charity: water. Ryan also hosts The Courageous Podcast where he talks with leaders from around the globe to uncover what it means to be courageous in today's world. His book, Return On Courage , shares why companies need to unlock courage while providing practical tips on how organizations can operationalize courage today.?Learn more at couragebrands.com