Make Something

In addition to the writing I did this week, Theo and I also made some decent artwork. We painted lines and circles and various other shapes with his watercolors, and I made a number of Play-Doh animals, including a shark, a sheep, and a horse. I think I could be a little more intentional with my making next week.

Learn Something

I listen to many podcasts during my commute and while doing other stuff that doesn’t require much thinking (mowing, dishes, etc.), so I come across new information all the time. In retrospect, one podcast that stands out to me is the Freakonmics episode, This Idea Must Die. Rather than offer some interesting , new idea, Steven Dubner asked a bunch of experts what particular idea they thought needed to be retired. Among some of the more compelling were our conception of the universe (instead of a multiverse), the idea that “the market” is good or bad, and the belief that atheism is a prerequisite for scientific inquiry. One of my favorites was Alan Alda’s suggestion that we stop thinking that something has to be right or wrong, true or false, by which he meant retiring “the idea that something is either true or false for all time and in all respects.” My typical response to whether or not a statement is true is, “it depends,” which can be frustrating for whomever I’m in conversation with. But so much depends on the particular situation and person that I hate to limit my perspective when I can avoid it.

Karate-chop Something

I don’t think I excelled in this area this week. I didn’t literally karate-chop anything, and I can’t say that I totally crushed anything figuratively either. Another area for improvement.

Try Something New

I went to a dealership for the first time this week, at least for the first time with the intention of buying a vehicle. Thus far, I have managed to buy my rides from individuals (or have them gifted to me). It was a pretty strange experience on the whole, complicated by Theo’s presence and the fact that we weren’t really excited about getting a minivan. Not that I have a problem with minivans, but Melanie and I both felt somewhat forced into the situation because she’s having twins. So, it wasn’t an expense we had necessarily foreseen. I don’t actually want to go into all the details here, but I will say that we managed to find a great deal online, and we feel fortunate that we have a reliable ride for the family.

Overall, it was a positive experience. It was also one that I don’t think you can really prepare for that well just by reading about it. I’ve seen plenty of information about working with salespeople and dealerships, but I feel like it’s a situation you really have to go through a few times before you’re comfortable with it. But it is also an experience you don’t really want to practice because that implies that you’re constantly buying new cars.

Be Nice to Someone

Again, I think I could have done better in this area. I did tell one of the security guards at work that I liked his sweater. And I complimented someone’s dishes. I think it’s best to make an effort to do something nice for at least one person every day, so I need to be more intentional about it.

So, that’s this week in review. It looks like I have some work to do; really only succeeded in two out of five of the karate moves for success.  Hopefully this information isn’t completely dull and useless. I felt like it might be interesting to start keeping tabs on my own self-improvement and to share that progress with you. We’ll see how it goes and whether or not the Johnny Karate path is the best framework to use.

Thanks for reading. Did you achieve any epic karate moves this week?

Money

This is the one we all talk about, probably because it is the most easily measured and used as a yardstick when we (or other people) want to know how we rank. And let’s be honest, money is a big deal. It plays a factor in basically every part of our lives. It consistently ranks number one on the list of topics couples argue about. Politicians are constantly fighting over the budget, using it as a carrot and a stick, and as a means to stall or speed up other legislation. Money can lead to bondage or freedom. It allows us to provide food, shelter, and education for our children.

Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can often buy you time, or control over the time you have. It can provide peace of mind and flexibility to enjoy your family or your passions. But pursuing it at the detriment of mastery and meaning is not a path to happiness. So say experts and studies. (Honestly, they do. Maybe I’ll put some links in here at some point.)

Mastery

When you work for someone, part of what they provide is experience. They allow you to learn on the job, especially at an early point in your career/s. We typically see this as the low rung on the ladder compensation. “Yeah, the pay is awful, but I’m learning so much.” Often, though, we feel like “experience” is just a translation for “years on the job.” Those aren’t the same. Just putting in your time isn’t taking advantage of the mastery aspect of your compensation.

At any job I’ve ever had, even those I didn’t care for, those that I viewed as inconveniences rather than stepping stones or launching pads, my mom told me to learn what I can. Honestly, I mostly brushed that off (sorry, Mom), as if to say, “What can I learn stocking shelves at Walmart?” But that is a tragic waste of time and energy. If you feel stuck where you are, try to look for ways to learn. Maybe you despise corporate culture, but what can it teach you about people or organizations? This is especially important for writers. We should always be searching for humanity, for what motivates people, and we should be keeping track of these details in case they come in handy at a later date. Every experience is unique, but it is too easy to take shortcuts and just write life like we see it on television.

Mastery shouldn’t be the young woman’s game. It shouldn’t be a stage to move through as quickly as possible so you can get on with the money-making, or meaning-making. Maybe you have mastered your profession or your particular role in it, but you should still be looking for ways to challenge yourself in order to keep life interesting. Turns out, increasing your knowledge and skills also tends to correlate with an increase in salary and/or fulfillment.

Meaning

Just as mastery shouldn’t be relegated to the early stages of our careers, meaning shouldn’t be delayed until we’ve “made it.” We generally see money and meaning as opposite sides on the seesaw (let me know if you call it a teeter-totter because that is a weird thing to say). We think you can’t make money doing something meaningful, and you can’t accomplish meaningful work if you’re concerned about money. That’s why we have descriptors like “starving artist.”

I won’t deny that there is some truth to that. It’s easy to compare the salaries of a corporate lawyer with the one working at Amnesty International. I would just suggest that the first can still find meaning at work, even if that means positively affecting the lives of coworkers and clients. And I believe those working in the nonprofit sector can find work that is both fulfilling and financially rewarding. (Individual results may vary.)

Ultimately, we have to judge for ourselves how we want this triad to balance; we have to decide what is the priority for us at any given point. But I do think it is important to give it some consideration. If you find your compensation lacking in either money, mastery, or meaning, how can you look for ways to achieve the balance you want? Sometimes it requires something of others (like proposing a pay increase); sometimes it requires something of ourselves (like learning a new skill). Sometimes it means we look elsewhere for a job or career path that will be more rewarding in one or all three of these areas.

For me, the list probably goes meaning, mastery, money. Or, that’s what my paycheck might suggest. As my family continues to grow, the money part certainly starts to put some pressure on the others. What type of compensation ranks the highest for your right now? Why?