The Modern Work Revolution?
Traditional work is dead.
Most people stay in the same job for decades. They find a job, maybe one they weren't especially interested in, and then stay there until retirement.
Some people might leave the company they originally started with, but only for a company within the same industry, for more money.
There's nothing wrong with this model. It works for some people.
Some people crave this kind of structure.
But it's not for everyone.
The problem is that most people don't know what other paths exist.
Some people check out of the corporate ladder only to go and repeat the same thing for themselves. But instead of now rising through the corporate ladder of someone else's company, they are doing it for themselves.
They build something for themselves, thinking this was the key to freedom, but after a while, they realize they have boxed themselves in again.
Stuck
Now they feel more stuck than ever.
Stuck in the only system they know, they don't feel like they can do something differently because this is how it's supposed to work.
We’re told:
Pick one thing forever and keep going.
The thought of doing something differently, quitting what they have started, or choosing a different path makes them feel guilty and like a failure…
…so they never question other possibilities.
I followed this exact path until 2014.
Started a job when I was 16 in a Building Services company.
I worked my way up through the company from an apprentice to a project manager, running multiple projects with multiple teams.
I stayed for 12 years and never questioned anything, even though deep down I knew this wasn't for me.
It was "safe" and predictable.
The only reason I left was because of internal events that made it unbearable to stay, so I left.
This used to be the path for the vast majority of people. It still is, but so many people are opting for something different.
And that something different is what I call "Modern Work."
What Modern Work Looks Like
Thanks to the Internet, the world of work for anyone who chooses a different path is limitless.
But something I noticed is that many people are applying the old way of doing things, which is:
Picking one thing and doing it forever.
It doesn't need to be this way.
The truth is, it probably shouldn't be the only option for many people, especially multi-interest people.
Think of Modern Work as being your own Venture Capitalist.
You get to pick and choose what you work on and who you do it with. You invest in yourself to uplevel your skills and character. You place small bets on micro projects, micro ventures, and micro goals.
Some of these can last weeks or months, and others years, or longer. You get to decide.
The difference is that the projects, businesses, and goals you work towards are in line with your values, interests, and worldview.
They should also grow and evolve as you grow and evolve.
What you value today might not be what you value in 2 years from now, so does it make sense to keep doing what no longer lights you up?
The traditional corporate ladder system would say yes.
But modern work gives you other options.
You can go all in on a project today that aligns with what you value and the impact you want to make.
Keep working on that project for as long as you need to feel fulfilled, and move on.
Moving on might be to uplevel within that current project or business. But it might also mean picking something new entirely.
Your Life, Your Terms
In 2017, I started my first online business.
Foolishly, I assumed that would be the only company I'd need to start because it’s what I would always do, and that it would always light me up.
All I had to do was keep going.
Fast forward 8 years and 5 companies later, I now know differently.
It's only in the last few years that I started to look back at these last 8 years and start connecting the dots.
It was from connecting these dots that I started to make sense of myself, how I work, and why I've ended up here today, writing about the things I do, while being a co-founder of an AI company.
I've held on to companies I started much longer than I should have. I did this because I thought sticking it out was the right thing to do, no matter what.
Hard Times
You are going to have a hard times and tough decisions to make with anything you do.
These are not reasons to stop giving time and energy to things you're working on. Quitting things because they are hard is not going to help you in the long run.
In my experience, it's during hard times that you learn the most about yourself.
Valid reasons to stop something are if they no longer align with what's important to you
Here's an example.
My first 2 companies were in the health space.
I had recently graduated with a sports and exercise science. I also had 6 years of experience working as a strength coach, personal trainer, and competing in CrossFit.
At the time, it made sense to start a company in this area.
But over time, I noticed that my enjoyment in my own training had dropped off significantly. I started to lose meaning & fulfilment in this, and my consistency with training was dropping off for the first time in 15 years.
So when I had the opportunity to start a new company in 2019, I took it. That decision got me out of the health space and into marketing and the agency space.
My level of fulfilment and enjoyment in my training went back up again.
I was intentional about making this shift because my values, interests, and what lights me up were clashing.
I value, enjoy, and love training, so if something is taking away this aspect of my life, it makes sense to make a change.
I've also kept pushing through on projects because I thought they were important to me, only for what was important to me to change a few years later.
Frustration
There used to be a time when I would get annoyed at myself for moving from one thing to another, but I've come to realize this is how I operate.
It’s how I learn, grow, make sense of myself, the world around me, and how I do my best to get better at business and entrepreneurship.
From the outside, it looks so random and chaotic:
I went from project manager at a building services company to personal trainer and strength coach….
…then into University as a mature student, which led to professional sport as a strength coach…
..then into starting an online health business (x2), which then went into a marketing agency for 5 years.
I've held masterminds, sold high ticket consulting, provided deal flow for private equity…
…and now co-founder for an AI company while writing about all of this in this newsletter.
But on the inside, all of this is connected.
Every single role, business, offer, and project connects in one way or another.
A Different Perspective
To look at this another way, I can guarantee that if I did not make the change from project manager to working in sports, which eventually led to me being here today, I would not be the version of who I am today
I would almost certainly be stuck and unfulfilled.
My path of work (modern work) has allowed me to grow, while at the same time, my growth has provided a path into new and exciting work.
When you figure this out, you’ll notice that your work fuels your growth, and your growth fuels your work.
What I've described is not that unique.
People are following similar paths to what I have described above.
The difference is that they might not know this or how everything connects.
I’ve spoken with 100’s of founders and business owners over the last 8 years.
And one of the common mistakes I see is people holding onto things that drain them instead of letting them go. This is even true when they are aware that what they are doing is not right for them.
It’s never going to be all sunshine and rainbows.
But what you do should give you energy more often than taking energy from you.
Modern Work is Built Upon 5 Pillars:
You can cycle through identities.
You can make money from your curiosity.
You can define what success is for you.
You can build a path that evolves with you.
You don’t have to do one thing forever.
No one is coming to give you permission to start something new, live a little differently, or no longer give resources to things that no longer light you up.
You don't need to commit to one thing for the rest of your life, but doing one thing at a time is a smart idea.
Taking this approach, you can go deeper into each interest one at a time.
Something to think about this week:
Does my current work energize or drain me?
Am I doing this because I want to, or because I once wanted to?
What would I try if I gave myself permission to evolve?
No one is coming to tell you what to do.
You have to decide.