Category Archives: the work

Definition Work

My daughter, Beatrix, attends a Montessori preschool. For those that don’t know, Montessori is an educational model and plan developed by Dr. Maria Montessori. It has a high focus on independent, self-directed, learning and fostering a child’s natural curiosity and hunger for self-development and growth. The particular Montessori school that Beatrix attends takes a very canonical approach to this model and I’ve watched her really flourish and thrive in that environment.

One of the things I love about the Montessori model is the idea and definition of the word “work”. In a Montessori environment, any purposeful activity is described as work. For instance, cutting up bananas to have as a snack is referred to as “banana work” or learning math skills by counting beads is referred to as “bead work”.

The reason I love this is that it takes the often negative ideas and connotations we normally associate with the word work and brings it back to what the word actually means:

work /wÉ™rk/ — Noun: Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. Verb: Be engaged in physical or mental activity in order to achieve a purpose or result, esp. in one’s job; do work.

So, by this definition, everything we do that has purpose is work. Perhaps, then, we could adopt the phrasing used by the Montessori method…

Throwing a frisbee with the kids? Frisbee work.

Taking a walk to the beach to see the sunset? Sunset work.

Hugging a friend to let them know you care? Hugging work.

Doesn’t that make work sound so much better? I think it does.

So, when I talk about “work”, as I likely will be doing a lot more of here in the coming weeks, please understand that I’m not necessarily talking about a job or career or some task or drudgery. When that is my meaning I will try to use one of those more specific terms.

Instead, my definition of work is a positive one defined by purpose, meaning, value, and results. The way, thanks to Montessori, my daughter understands it.

A Passion For The Work

Subtitle: Lose The Freelancing Illusion

I get at least one email in my inbox a week from someone who wants my advice on freelancing. They read my writing or listen to my podcast or follow me on a social network and think that I have a pretty sweet, fulfilling, life that I’m generally satisfied with. That I love working the freelance life as both a consultant and writer. That my wife, who is also a freelance consultant and my business partner, does too. And, this is true. We have a pretty great life. But I think the truth of why we love it is far different than the reason others think we do.

The fact is, both my wife and I work our asses off. Heck, here it is past midnight and I’m still working. My wife is in a chair a few feet away working. I’m rarely not working. Neither is she. Even the “fun stuff” is often work related for at least one of us. As are our “vacations”. But, we do it because we love it. We love the work. It fulfills us in ways that nothing else can. And this is what I mean when I say it is not for everyone and that satisfaction others sense is not coming from a life of leisure it is coming from a love of the work.

We are both passionate people. We are passionate about every aspect of our life. We did not set out to freelance so that we could work less. We freelance so that we can work more and own every piece of it. The fact is that there really is no line for us between family, work, and play. It is all just life. A life that we build and work for and love. We work hard at every aspect of it because we love the work.

Not everyone is cut out for it. It takes not only a passion for the work but plenty of sacrifice. It means there will be no paid vacations or retirement fund matching or group healthcare plan. It means years of saving and planning and struggling and scrapping. But you will know, in those tough years, if it is for you. Because those struggles will not deter you — they will fuel you. Because, that is all part of the work too.

The farmer lays her head down at night and can’t wait to go out at daybreak and get deep into the muck and dung of her work, because she loves the land. It is what makes her a farmer.

When you love the work, the work shows you who you really are.

I’m a full-time independent writer who works hard and loves it. If my work has improved your day, please consider a free will donation of any amount.

Are you satisfied?

Pretty |syzhy|referrer|bshnf
tired tonight (as I write this). I’ve not gotten particularly good sleep the past couple of nights and it is really wearing on me now. Not sure I can even form enough complete thoughts to write this but I’ll try to do some broad strokes.

I had a good discussion today with my friend Garrick about discouragement vs. dissatisfaction.

The premise being that we live in a society that, in so many ways, simply wants us to be satisfied. It seeks to actively discourage us from making an impact on it. Those that are like everyone else are accepted. Those that are different are shunned or treated with suspicion. If one fits in and follows the crowd and stays largely unnoticed is promised a life with very little risk. Just be satisfied with the way things are.

There are many people who are happy with such a life. Those whose only ambition is to have a job they can show up at, do the bare minimum, get their paycheck and benefits with automatic inflation-adjusted yearly raises, then retire comfortably in someplace warm. They discourage themselves from sticking out one way or the other. They find satisfaction in their mediocracy. And, society is largely satisfied with them there.

On the other side, there are those that are that are driven by dissatisfaction. Those for whom there is always something better or something more. Those that live to stick out like a sore thumb. Those that are not afraid to challenge the status quo. Often, these people make terrible employees because they are never satisfied with their jobs. They are restless seekers. They are full of ideas plans and schemes. Society likes to romanticize these folks but often brands them reckless and dangerous.

Perhaps I’m biased but I believe the only cure for discouragement is dissatisfaction. That it is a key ingredient, perhaps the key ingredient, to success. That only once one is sufficiently dissatisfied will they be able to make real noticeable change — either in themselves or in society as a whole.

I’m a writer. Writing is how I make this world better, friendlier, stronger place. If these words improved your day, please let me know by contributing here.