Self-deception (in the workplace)

It’s easy to seduce ourselves into thinking that by filling our time with busy work (emails, phone calls, meetings), we must be someone of great importance.

Busy work doesn’t mean you are doing productive work.

Staying busy might seem like a safe tactic to feel irreplaceable. But if your job can be written down into a simple set of instructions, we can find someone faster and cheaper.

Deep down, we know why it’s easier to fill our time with conference calls, board meetings and the never ending stream of emails; it’s because we are afraid. We are afraid of being judged. We are afraid that our best work isn’t good enough.

What’s indispensable in today’s market is to do work that might fail. Which means, we have to throw away the manual. We have to do work that requires emotional labor. Work that is bold and daring.

There is no map where we are going. No one can tell you what to do next. But if you insist on needing someone to point the way: Follow your curiosity. Do something interesting. Be generous.