Uhm, Work, Are You Ok?
Why I've Found Time Management Books So Interesting Lately
There seems to be limitless content around his idea of time management. I’ve been spending some time with some. My recent dives moved from Time Smart to a couple Doire Clark books, and then Do Nothing after I saw her at the National Book Festival in 2022. At some point in here, I pre-orded the paperback of the book Time Management for Mortals.
And it’s this last title that really gets to it.
I haven’t been able to identify when, but at some point in management theory, writers started realizing something truly profound: our time is limited. Somewhere along the line, time management became a gateway to life management, which usually takes the thematic bridge of “time is short, so you need to know how to get the most out of it, what you want to do with it, and make sure you know why the things you need to do that are not the things you love are things still somehow worth doing despite that they remove you from things you love (know your why).
The next step of the equation is that management also seems to mean happiness.
Mastering the business skill of time management brings one to feel that they are also equipped to talk on the life skill of directing your life. Business is now an on-ramp to becoming a philosopher (which, on it. Thanks.).
Diary of a CEO, Moment 110 and his book
For example, speaking of content, I stumbled across this podcast here where the host, before starting the main point of the episode, makes an announcement that he has written another book. On what? “Business, management, and LIFE” (my emphasis).
Ray Dallio + Principles
Thinking about CEO’s, how about one of today’s icons, Ray Dallio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, which is the world’s biggest hedge fund, and author. What does he do? Intricate, massive business; studies global trends; and writes. About what? Business. Business culture. LIFE. His book Principles, positions him to echo Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor and (unintentional) author of Meditations. If founding and managing a global hedge fund is like ruling an empire (I wouldn’t know), he’s onto something there.
Scott Galloway + Algebra of Happiness
Thinking of icons, we can turn to one of the newest moguls around, Scott Galloway (Prof. G) (who I do enjoy, candidly). Professor at NYU Stern Business School (a top 10 B-school), entrepreneur, and author. About what? Business. Marketing and branding. LIFE.
HBS + Courses
Speaking of top 10 business programs, let’s look at Harvard. Buried in the curriculum of the fabled Harvard MBA is a course called “Leadership and Happiness” which is distinct from the course co-produced between Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School called “Managing Happiness.” What is it about? Work. Career. LIFE.
What is going on?
A few things may be occurring here, but I can’t help and wonder if big business is starting to really ask itself what it's all for anyway. What is the value of time management in a finite place? Even if one believes in an afterlife, this lifetime is limited.
What I find interesting here is the amount of boredom. Look at this: “Managing Happiness”. How uninspiring. Is happiness something that needs to be managed? When I think of managing, a certain sense of it brings to mind “taming”. Change Management, Crisis Management, Conflict Management, Team Management; is there not a clear throughline of getting these things under control? Do I want my happiness to be managed? Not really, no. In fact, I want it to be expansive and rich. My happiness is ecstatic and radical, unbound with optimism and ready for joy and tenderness and energy. Show me that class.
To me, this theme recalls the type of topical obsession that is so dense that it prevents action toward the object of desire. Everyone wants happiness. But I am more ready to think we are too overworked, and removed from a natural happiness, than lacking in tactics to ‘manage happiness’. Taking a course on this might be fun? But it would probably feel like progress while still actively being the opposite of what you need. Simply said, instead of making time for a course on happiness, maybe just go do something that makes you happy?
Finding courses about it in a business school or seeing business leaders convert their brand into part-time philosophers makes me wonder if they’re going about it the wrong way, in the least, or have, more dangerously, confused the “work to live, live to work” priority.
More soon,
Trevor
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