I recently came across an article called The Golden Quarter, that had this to say:
“In the nine quarter-century periods since the American republic was founded in 1789, the one with highest economic growth and job creation was the period from 1983 through 2007. Particularly remarkable — there were just four quarters (out of 100) of negative economic growth in that entire interval, says … [the] Chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth.”
Usually I try to keep my posts here pretty positive, but according to the statement above, a good majority of my life has been spent in the most prosperous times EVER. So when most everyone I know is working harder for less money, it’s no small task to keep your outlook rosy. While there are signs that things getting a bit better, I highly doubt that we’re going to return to those “golden quarter” times instantly. It’s a sobering thought that in the future you’re just gonna have to work harder for everything, whether it be a home loan, a successful business or that Tahitian vacation you’ve always wanted.
If you’re lucky enough to have a job right now, then your work NEEDS you. Everyone has scaled back to the bare minimum, and if you’re still there, that means that you’re important and you’ve got lots of work to do. So now, more than ever, is a time for balance. A time to prioritize, get organized, get focused and really investigate the return of investment on your time. You often hear about the return of investment on dollars, but time is just as precious. If you’re not able to get the time you need to recharge, to see family and friends, to workout, to sleep enough, whatever it is you need to feel like a human and not a hamster on an endless wheel, you’re not going to be as present and useful as you could be, in all aspects of your life. Take a good look at how you spend your time; are the projects that are the most consuming the ones with the most impact?
Yes, life post Golden Quarter may not be as easy as it once was, but I think it’s a good opportunity to be more conscious, and a good challenge to be more efficient. Can you be twice as busy, just as successful and just as happy? I think a lot of people have realized that what has happened over the past few years has just been one big wake up call, a giant ladle stirring the pot and the realization that no matter whom you want to blame, in the end, we as a society, as an economy, failed. Americans don’t like failures and we’re all in this together, so now the challenge becomes not be controlled by hard work, but to be in control of your time, with the clarity of mind pick up the pieces and energy enough to innovate and do better next time. Do you know what you need in your life to be able to do that?
