Living On Your Own Terms

Nov 22

Nov 22 Living On Your Own Terms

Aspirations, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Life, Management Consulting, Personal Codes

When I got into consulting in the mid-nineties, I did so with the expectation that I was going into a field that was focused on driving change. That we were there to make a difference, and to improve the lot of our clients.

And that doing so required people who were committed to that process, both within the firm I worked for and at the client. Generally speaking, that expectation proved to be the reality.

Which made it all the more surprising when I would come across individuals for whom the work was just a job. Individuals who were simply working for a paycheck as opposed to working towards an overarching mission (any overarching mission). Individuals who had been doing this for a long period of time.

I never understood that. Not in consulting, not in my work prior to consulting and not in building my business since then.

If you’re going to spend as much time as you do at work, you should be doing something that’s meaningful to you.

Maybe there are short term jobs that you do because you have to (for a whole host of reasons), and, sure, that’s fine. But during and beyond that, you should always be planning for what you actually want, for what moves you.

There’s many people out there who believe that that way of thinking is naive. That I (and others like me) don’t understand or appreciate the ‘realities’ of life.

Frankly, there have always been people who believe that doing what you want, what you believe in, is a luxury. Something that is for the select few, the lucky ones.

That’s their call.

I think they’re wrong. Personally, I’ve never appreciated why you’d want to think that way. Why would you want to resign yourself to a life lived on someone else’s terms?

Surely, it’s better to at least try and do what you want?

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As it’s Thanksgiving here in the US, I just wanted to say Thank You to each and every one of you who have taken the time to read my posts over the last year. Your support means a lot, and I really appreciate it. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!