A cliché which is often used by many but one worthy taking note of. In the seventies, a cousin of mine observing his father spending hours on end, engaged in his business quietly suggested to me ‘’ I do not understand why Bolom (the old man) would be doing so much effort for so little output. He is crazy and He won’t listen to me.’’
‘’ Look here,’’ my cousin further retorted ‘’I have a ready-made approach where he may work for just half the time and achieve more than he would be earning. Will he accept this? Of course not for to him the work is more important or to be seen to be so engaged’’ He was adamant that his father would always opt for just the idea of working or be seen to be working just for the sake of it echoing Robert Kiyosaki’s Poor Dad’s approach.
Upon reflection, how often are we all ensnared in life and overwhelmed by it all and in the process refusing to take control of oneself and one’s dealings. In more ways than one, we let things and events bypass us and kind of let things be in the mode of passivity. And so we are involved in our work in a busy, busy and busy fashion where in-balance creeps in and in a way affecting other aspects of life but we hardly notice it as we live on or shall I say merely exist! In such a state of being what really matters is going through the motion of work, work and work hard ideology. One must always work hard would say another slogan and that of course is contrary to the work smart principle.
The work smart principle provides one with tools to be effective and proactive whilst its opposite the work harder simply out phase our life in that we become slaves of a rigid life and victims often a self imposed, nay soul destroying system which makes us no more than simple automatons of the Orwellian type. By espousing this norm, we abide by its rigidity as if this is the only way forwards or we may not shrug free of it? And so we may be seen as doomed. Sartre has always maintained that there is always a choice in life and this is what makes us be there so to speak in the midst of the world in the face of any adversity. It is precisely our humanness which can lift us above and beyond any constraint.
Continuing the earlier story, I discovered with some distress during my recent summer holidays that my cousin too has become a victim of the work hard ethic. He plainly stated to me that he works over 12 hours a day, 365 days a year, with hardly any break. When reminded of my uncle, he recalls his own earlier statement towards his father and indeed acknowledges his conscious incompetence at a failure to shrug free. Would my cousin be willing to discover and explore ways whereby he may be more effective? And or find out ways of not being confined to a certain norm which has started to take over his life since some five years now? Would he really want to take control of his life rather than having his life being washed away by the system of hard work?
I succinctly suggested to my cousin that he tries coaching as a method to bring some sanity into his life; but then for my cousin it may be his world view now, his newly acquired beliefs or perhaps how he wants to be. Yet he has also acknowledged that it is prudent to at least explore ways of being more efficient!
In many ways as we march through life, indeed many of us also spouse a philosophy of being done by the elements/forces of nature in that we do not have control over the’ I’ of my being!
And yet, we know that not to prize that self over things/projects etc are equally degrading as little respect is shown to one self. In life what we may not do is to commit self destruction and the work had approach simply contributes towards this? Why work hard when we can work smart? What do we have to do to work smart? How may we relate to the world and or be in the world? Naturally, some of these questions may be raised in the process of coaching? From workers to professionals students and every other the question of ensnarement looms indeed have over our life, where there is no balance. Rather, it is a mismatch of distress, distraught and sometimes confusions and desperation which may culminates into all sorts of undue maladies/ads on just for the sake of it with us simply being a pawn.
The plea of course is to be reflective and in placing the self which you are in its primal position when one first began to attempt conquering the world and not overwhelmed by it all. Seek that authenticity of being first. Respect the self and value it and make it a centripetal force of being rather than forcing it to be subjugated into nothingness where it has no importance. With the self one is a hero. Without it one is a zero. The choice could not be clearer……