Wednesday, August 25, 2010

HBR: Measuring One's Life

It is difficult to resist an article that is titled "How will you measure your Life?" Especially if the writer is a Harvard Business School professor. In addressing the class of 2010, Prof. Christensen lays down three important questions and proceeds to logically tackle them one by one.

[...] To find cogent answers to three questions: First, how can I be sure that I’ll be happy in my career? Second, how can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse and my family become an enduring source of happiness? Third, how can I be sure I’ll stay out of jail?
I especially liked his "allocation of resources" section, where he suggests that we think about using our limited resources (personal time and energy) to shape our life strategy. This is where I repeatedly slip up – by spending way too much time on things of little import.

Because of the author's faith, the article has undertones of religion. But for those of us who consider ourselves secular, the message is still the same. Overall, well worth reading and passing on to others.

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2 comments:

Jeannie in USA said...

I have never wondered how to stay out of jail. Maybe that's because I am female, middle class, white. I wasn't always happy with my career or my family. But here I am, retired, and appreciating every thing I have (there is not so much), appreciating the fact that I am healthy, financially secure, needed in my community, cared about by friends and family. I feel very lucky.

My measure of a good life is "are you happy when you wake up and face the day"? I am. I am so lucky.

Ram said...

@Jeannie in USA,

Thanks, Jeannie for your comment.
I suspect that you say applies to most of the readers of this blog -- very few of us worry about 'how to stay out of jail.'

I too was very surprised to find that in this HBR article, but when I saw that the author is using 'jail' as a way of introducing morality/right-wrong, I was okay with it.

Your point about gratitude for everything that we have at our disposal (and which we so easily take for granted) is very well taken. All of us know these things, but we keep forgetting.

Ram