Harvard Business School professor and author Clayton Christensen recently wrote an article discussing the subject of “How Will You Measure Your Life?”, with a target audience of the HBS class of 2010, but I think it applies resoundingly to anyone in their early to late 20s, and certainly any person could glean some wisdom from it. In particular I found the discussion of family to be very insightful.. One excerpt:
“When people who have a high need for achievement—and that includes all Harvard Business School graduates—have an extra half hour of time or an extra ounce of energy, they’ll unconsciously allocate it to activities that yield the most tangible accomplishments. And our careers provide the most concrete evidence that we’re moving forward. You ship a product, finish a design, complete a presentation, close a sale, teach a class, publish a paper, get paid, get promoted. In contrast, investing time and energy in your relationship with your spouse and children typically doesn’t offer that same immediate sense of achievement. Kids misbehave every day. It’s really not until 20 years down the road that you can put your hands on your hips and say, “I raised a good son or a good daughter.” You can neglect your relationship with your spouse, and on a day-to-day basis, it doesn’t seem as if things are deteriorating. People who are driven to excel have this unconscious propensity to underinvest in their families and overinvest in their careers—even though intimate and loving relationships with their families are the most powerful and enduring source of happiness.”
I am guilty as charged of unconsciously allocating every last ounce of energy and every last half hour of time to activities that yield tangible accomplishments.. At the very least I have the tendency to do so, but I have found that curbing this tendency leads to greater overall happiness and fulfillment.
I will leave you with a quote from Steve Jobs, giving a commencement address at Stanford University:
“‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something…. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose…. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”