I finally got around to reading Ian Sanders' book 'Juggle: rethink work, reclaim your life' - a simply structured book about the journey to and practicalities of his 'juggle' philosophy along with some case studies of other jugglers.Sanders says 'Live by your passions...go beyond the job title...have lots of strings to your bow...celebrate being multi-dimensional.' Of course this resonates well with portfolio careers. He draws on his own experiences of work, carving out multi-dimensional ways to earn a living, refusing to be pigeon-holed, which, having done much the same myself, I found it gratifyingly easy to identify with.
I sometimes worry that this blog might at times be a frustrating read for the aspiring juggler/portfolio careerist because it's easy to say "go for it, take the plunge!" when you're already doing it yourself. Similarly, I worry that Sanders' success stories and case studies might have the same effect. Sanders does make it look attainable and fun but there's no getting away from the fact that taking the steps to get there when you're not sure where to start is hard. The book's success no doubt means that many have found it inspiring though and rightly so. I loved that reading it made me feel that there are others of my own generation who are daring to be different and redefine what work means. Thanks Ian for sharing the value of the juggle lifestyle - us portfolio careerists know what you mean!
Does he have anything to say about juggling the 'work/life balance'? I've always thought this an unhelpful concept, suggesting that the two things are somehow divisible.
ReplyDeleteRefreshingly no - he very much talks about how the two should be merged and that the division is artificial if we want to lead interesting and fulfilling lives.
ReplyDeleteHelen, thanks for taking the time to feedback on my book 'Juggle!'. Good question Nigel on 'work/life balance'. As Helen has commented, my experience is that it's more effective to strike for integration rather than balance. I've written a follow up to 'Juggle' in my new book 'Mash-Up!' that is out next month http://tinyurl.com/mashupbook
ReplyDeleteIn 'Mash Up' I explore how more and more workers are living multi-dimensional work lives; and not just the portfolio workers but people working in organisations too. More people have more than one job title, everyone seems to have a side project: it looks like the future is plural not singular....!