For my next 3 blog posts, I'm going to highlight 3 articles that have had a significant impact on my life. Here is the first one.
1. Clayton Christensen "How Will You Measure Your Life?"
In this article, Clayton Christensen focuses on 3 questions:
- How can I be sure that I'll be happy in my career?
- How can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse and my family become an enduring source of happiness?
- How can I be sure I'll stay out of jail? (2 of his classmates from Harvard spent time in jail, including Jeff Skilling of Enron)
I still remember reading this article as an undergraduate student at BYU, and being surprised that Clayton was able to set aside an hour every day to read scriptures and think about his purpose in life. I decided that if he could do it, so could I, especially since I was pretty sure my life was less demanding than his. =) So I increased my daily study time from 30 minutes to 1 hour, and have been doing that ever since (though I'm not as consistent as I would like to be sometimes). Like Clayton, I have found that taking that time helps the rest of my day to be more productive, focused, and meaningful. I don't think I know my purpose in life yet, but I'm working on it. I've at least been able to identify several things that are not my purpose.
I also really like Clayton's comments about allocating your resources. People (and especially business students) tend to focus on whatever brings the most results in the short term. In business and in personal life, this mindset can be harmful to the long-term. For example, many people in their 20s put off family and kids because they want to focus on career. However, in the long run, the most important thing in this life is relationships (ESPECIALLY relationships with spouse and children), and neglecting to invest every day in this long-term endeavor is short-sighted and dangerous. You may end up climbing to the top in the corporate world, only to find your life is lonely and meaningless. Clayton reminds us to save our best thinking for our families, not just for our businesses.
Finally, Clayton's story about deciding not to play basketball on Sunday teaches the importance of holding to high standards, and avoiding the temptation of compromising "just this once". If you give in one time, chances are you will give in again later, and the magnitude of your poor decisions can be a downward spiral as they relate to more and more important things.
Remember: "the metric by which God will assess [your] life isn't dollars but the individual people whose lives [you've] touched."
By the way, I just found out a few minutes ago on Twitter (Clayton Christensen just responded to a tweet I sent him about this article!) that he's writing a book based on this article that will be released on May 15, 2012). I will definitely plan on reading that one!
Hello Brett,
ReplyDeleteGreat words about a very good article!
I second what you said about sticking to our convictions no matter what and being consistent about it and never giving in. Also, I am sure that the best way to find happiness in one's career is to focus on discovering and then following what God wants for us. And this is so because He loves us so much and knows us so well that He will give what is best for us, if we only seek to do His will first.