How Will You Measure Your Life parallels proven management theories (the author’s specialty) with the construction of a life.
And Clay takes major business concepts such as strategy, innovation, priorities, investment and relates them to the experience of a lifetime.
In both cases, he draws from research (he was a professor at Harvard) but also from his experience as an entrepreneur (co-founder of several businesses) and as a father (he has 5 children).
I liked the result.
6 ideas that resonated with me
1/”My family is my first priority”
A strategy is only an intention. It becomes possible when the company allocates its resources to its strategy.
And the author asks this question :
“If your family matters most to you, when you think about all the choices you’ve made with your time in a week, does your family seem to come out on top?”
2/My ROI is bad (Return On Investment)
One of the reasons why we fall into this trap (not prioritizing our family). At work, we have a fairly quick result. A yearly budget, a project to deliver.
This is not the case in family life. You don’t see the results of your work for years. And even when you put in a lot of effort, you have no guarantee of success.
He likens this concept to a business’s ROI. ROI in the family is hard to prove so subconsciously we invest more in the business.
Want to be more productive and happy? Try these 3 constraints.
3/I focus on my work first when the kids are little and then I’ll catch up.
He thinks this is one of the biggest mistakes. Some things never catch up. He gives the example of child development between 0 and 3 years. The more we communicate with the child, the more we develop his abilities. He called it the risks of sequencing life investments.
Work-Life Balance Myth: I’ll Make Up For Lost Time
4/Culture.
Like strategy (where you put your resources), the way you solve things daily in the business becomes the company culture.
And you can apply the same in the family. What do we want for our family? And then make the effort daily so that the children understand through action what the values of the family are.
“Culture in any organization is formed through repetition”
5/Integrity
Many professionals are caught up in integrity issues. The cases of doping and financial schemes are multiplying. The author compares this to the red line not to be crossed. Behavior tolerated for the sake of results can cause a company to drift. It becomes a habit.
“The only way to avoid the consequences of uncomfortable moral concessions in your life is to never start making them in the first place. When the first step down that path presents itself, turn around and walk the other way. “
In this case, 100% is easier than 98% of the time.
6/The most essential activity of your life
Finding your mission. It took the author years to find his. It’s a process, not a destination. But constantly thinking about who I want to become helps set a course. The author proposes a three-part formula.
- Likeness: What is my wish? Who I want to become
- Commitment: What do I commit to becoming the person I want?
- Metrics: What criteria do I choose to measure my life?
I highly recommend this book.
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