Future Work/Life is my newsletter in which I explore ideas on how to design legendary careers and businesses that will thrive in the future of work. Every week, I share something I’ve written, a few things I’ve enjoyed reading, and something great to listen to. If you find it interesting, please share it!
The Writing:
There's nothing like returning from a summer holiday to give you a fresh perspective.
And while disengaging your brain and recuperating is valuable in itself, taking advantage of the clarity it gives you to make improved decisions is arguably even more critical. The nature of my work nowadays means that I don’t return to 1000+ unread emails, which is helpful, but despite that, I realised last week that there is something I miss from the years I spent in a ‘regular job’:
Focus.
Most people wouldn't describe what I've been working on this year as a 'regular job'. The first five months were predominantly spent on my own, researching and writing a book. And since I finished it, things have become particularly unwieldy. Desperate to get back out into the real world, I decided to throw myself into any and every opportunity presented to me, including:
Short-term growth projects with start-ups and scale-ups.
Building an audience for the book through regular social content.
Monetising the book's key insights and endorsement through a cohort-based course.
Combining my new-found writing skills to help founders shape their marketing strategies.
Importantly, earning back some of the 'investment' I've made by spending so much time on the book.
The end result?
I've lost focus.
So why’s this relevant to you?
Well, whether you’re sending kids back to school after a long six-week holiday or just getting stuck into work again after a summer break, now’s a good time for a reset. That includes leaving behind some of the baggage which we all accumulate in our work/lives, reviewing whether you’re spending your time on the right things, and considering whether you’re still focused on the right goals.
Ironically, given I've just finished writing a book about work/life design, I've fallen guilty of some of the basic mistakes I advise people against.
I've overloaded my time by being too willing to say "yes".
I've lost sight of my long-term goals with short-term thinking.
While working on my weaknesses (e.g. creating social content), I've compromised on some of the things that make me different.
Pausing to reflect on this has reminded me of why I started writing about the future of work in the first place.
The idea of a 'regular job' has already changed for many people, and the trend toward freelancing, solopreneurship and a more decentralised workforce will continue. In other words, before too long, there'll be many more people like me, having to work out how to shape a work/life that allows them more variety and the possibility of being more creative, independent, and healthier. But no less ambitious.
Right now, you might call this a 'portfolio career', but eventually, we'll just call it a 'career'.
In the short term, I'm dropping some of the projects and initiatives that have distracted me. Instead, I'm refocusing on things that help progress my mission: helping people design legendary careers and businesses that will thrive in the future of work.
So, to wrap up and let you get on with your day, here are a few questions for you to mull over:
Do you feel like you may have taken on too much?
When was the last time you reviewed your priorities?
What tasks or projects could you remove to help you make progress on achieving your big goals?
Thanks as ever for reading and have a great week.
Ollie
My book, Work/Life Flywheel: Harness the work revolution and reimagine your career without fear, will be published on 17th January 2023. You can pre-order your copy HERE.
The Reading:
Dror Gurevich is one of the most interesting guests I’ve had on the podcast over the past couple of years, and his vision for the Velocity Network Foundations is one of the boldest I’ve come across. Check out our conversation if you missed it the first time. Either way, read his recent interview in Authority Magazine to discover his top 5 trends to watch in the future of work.
I enjoyed Deep Work author Cal Newport’s framing of a profile piece on Princeton professor June Huh, who recently won a Fields Medal, one of the highest honours in maths, for his breakthrough work on geometric combinatorics. His success is, according to Newport, a great example of slow productivity.
Have you run or been subjected to an exit interview? This article from The Economist wonders what the point of them is when there’s little incentive to tell the truth.
The Listening:
During the summer, I’ve been publishing a series focused on the top 20 lessons I’ve learned since launching my podcast in October 2020. Here they all in case any take your fancy:
Lesson 1 - Embrace being different
Lesson 2 - How failure can lead to growth
Lesson 3 - It's time to flip how we think about learning (and work)
Lesson 4 - Cultivate your community
Lesson 5 - Flexibility is a mark of success
Lesson 6 - There's magic to connecting in-person
Lesson 7 - The world is a big place - take advantage of it
Lesson 8 - Consider creativity a core value
Lesson 9 - Actively schedule downtime in your diary
Lesson 10 - Pace yourself like an elite athlete
Lesson 11 - Journaling is a powerful tool
Lesson 12 - Like it or not, the future of work is global
Lesson 13 - Use constraints to your advantage
Lesson 14 - Clarify your purpose by writing 'I Will'