There’s something in the air around me now and I’m having loads of discussions about finding your passion and meaningful work in an insecure economy. People have responsibilities and providing for your family comes first, even if the idea of being professional spoon bender speaks to your soul on a deep and important level. Despite the practicalities, there is still a sense that there must be a better way to do things.
I’m reading the books, clicking the links and listening to the podcasts trying to find the breadcrumb trail to a better working life. This Hidden Brain podcast by NPR is really useful for finding a new way to look at your life when you are feeling stuck. We should stop trying to think our way out of it and product design our way out. You design the life you are living every day, this process embraces that.
The big lightbulb moment for me was that some things are “gravity problems”. You cannot change gravity so trying will simply frustrate you. If your side hustle will never pay your mortgage that is a gravity problem. You cannot change that, but you can change your relationship with your side hustle, or stop, or try a different side hustle.
Anything that encourages you to take a new perspective is a good idea and this does that. So here’s to engineering new solutions and remember not to tangle with gravity.