Bringing Fourth Thoughts

I firmly stand by the belief that you cannot throw yourself into only one aspect of life and be successful.  It may appear that the best business people do nothing but spend time on their business, but I think the truth is a little more nuanced. I tend to find that those who are that successful take positive aspects from other areas of life and translate them into their business.

And who doesn’t love a little diversion, too? Like the fact that I read this week that driverless cars in Australia are having trouble with kangaroos.  Those hoppy little buggers apparently just aren’t as easy to track and manage as other animals.

Now I clearly do not have any stake in that game: I don’t work in technology; I don’t live in Australia; and I don’t envision myself in a driverless care anytime soon. It is still interesting, ​though, and can lead to a little musing on unexpected trials and how one cannot let a single instance hold back something more monumental.

I think there is also some whimsy involved here, too, in this convergence of the natural and mechanical worlds that is enjoyable on a visceral level. And finding those moments of joy in the unexpected might also be a key to success, or at least in one’s ability to feel positive about it.

Now, I do not know if it is due to the height of summer, or coming off the extra-long holiday weekend that has me feeling this way, but that little bit of recharging and joy that lies outside of a strict work focus does seem to lead to some renewed vigor in many. Does that fact then not go to prove that a short step away from work can do some good?

And then take a giant like Google, a company that has experienced such success that it has altered our vocabulary. Its innovations have spearheaded a great deal of the technological advances of the last 20 years, and it continually reaches into new directions, as well. Yet, at the same time, its workplace culture is famous for being more laid-back and open.

That attitude does not only stay in the workplace, though, for I recently read this article from PC Magazine that goes through some of the best Easter eggs that Google’s developers have written into its search engine. Now none of these are huge, groundbreaking, or what the company will ever be most known for, but they are fun.

So during this time when hopefully you had a chance to feel some more fun and enjoyment in your life, remember that those feelings should not be too far removed from work. When we envision what we want to be when we grow up, it is with a vision of what will be fulfilling on many levels, not just what provides a paycheck. Hold onto those aspects of your work that can still provide that joy, and remain open to the fun things to which it can lead.
And just maybe that will increase the size of your paycheck too.

Warmly,

Nicole Odeh
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