A whole lot of this book I found myself nodding along with like “yep, yep.” Specifically in the way of, these are things I’ve thought for quite a while, just put together into a single narrative, rather than my usual approach to it of “one idea bubbles up, a few weeks or months later another one does.” I have, as it turns out, done a pretty reasonable job of building up a work/life balance for myself! 🎉
That said, I still found it a useful read; going through things like that, where it’s been put together into a single coherent flow, is useful to help one’s own thoughts coalesce.
Past that, there’s also some new things in there! I actually quite liked, from the very end, this call to action:
What we often lack—both as individuals and as a society—is the ability to imagine a less work-centric existence. So my question for you, dear reader, is: What’s one small change you can make to elevate your nonwork self? Perhaps you schedule a weekly walk with your best friend. Maybe you get involved in a neighborhood group where no one has any idea how you make a living. Maybe you pick up a new hobby without the expectation of mastering it. What can you do to remind yourself that you exist on this earth to do more than produce economic value?
Because, yes, I read through this whole thing and thought to myself “yeah, I should think about that a bit more,” but that’s an Ivory Tower sort of thought. It’s a thing I think while I’m already thinking about the shape of my life. It’s harder to put that sort of thing into action. This idea, though, of making one small change? That’s a great way to approach it.
An excellent read overall, well worth it; check it out.1
- This is a Bookshop affiliate link – if you buy it from here, I get a little bit of commission. It won’t hurt my feelings if you buy it elsewhere; honestly, I’d rather you check it out from your local library, or go to a local book store. I use Bookshop affiliate links instead of Amazon because they distribute a significant chunk of their profits to small, local book stores. ↩