Fox’s enthralling book on the reinvention of work shares a vision where our personal and professional lives are celebrated in harmony.
A world where the self is not sacrificed for a job, but is sanctified by authentic work. One of the points he makes is about doing things for their own reward. Letting the work take responsibility for itself.
He writes:
It is when we learn to work without a why that we know we are working from our inner selves. If our work is a work of love, it needs to be without a why, for love has no reason. As it is in our relationships with friends, family and lovers, we love the work for its own goodness, virtue and nature. Life lives from its own foundation and rises out of itself.
In a world where people fetishize motivation and purpose and vision and planning, this thought of working without a why is wildly refreshing.
Besides, since when did we decide that doing something without a reason wasn’t worth doing at all?
Why all the incessant need to defend the hugely impressive and grandiose motivation that drives our work?
We’re all adults here. We don’t have to prove our purpose to anybody. And we don’t owe anybody an explanation. Including ourselves.
We can do things just to do them.
In fact, I would argue that endlessly searching for the why behind our work, not to mention forcing ourselves to constantly justify those efforts in inspiring language, is a waste of valuable energy that could be better invested in the work itself.
Don’t start with why. Just start.
Sometimes the best reason is the one you don’t have.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When was the last time you let the work take responsibility for itself?
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Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.
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