I hate sitting in a cubicle for more than 30 minutes.
A part of me feels like it is a prison that I need to emerge from in order to have a real life. I know it’s not true, but it feels that way. Who ever decided that we need to work from 9am to 5pm anyway (well now it is til 6pm, right?) I know there is a better way.
I’m on a mission to fight cubicle complacency and empower others to do more meaningful work. In this post I want to share 5 life design models I came across while reading about Scanners, Slashers, Multipotentialites and Shifters. Hopefully these will yield some inspiration to try changing the way you work.
1. Remote Work Model
The perfect way to be in two places at once. It is like having a presence in your office while also enjoying the cool breeze that hits your forehead while sipping an iced hibiscus tea near a wonderful beachside villa. More an more people are embracing the reality that you don’t need to be chained to a desk. Technology allows us to get most of our work and meetings done from anywhere. Give it a try.
2. Schoolteacher Model
Imagine getting summer and winter holidays. It is not just for the kids. This work model is for the person that is willing to churn out some work over a few months and take a short mini-vacation in between. It works for teachers. Could it also work for you?
I’m not sure if this model would work for me. I tend to always want to pursue some passion or project year round.
3. Double Life Model
It’s okay to do more than one thing in the same day. I work on wordpress websites in the mornings and my coaching business in the afternoon. I tend to use my lunch break as a transition time to change location and my mindset. You could also do the same. Maybe one part of your day is dedicated to a skill that brings home the rent money. The next part of your day could be focused on building that body of work that you’ll be proud of 5 years from now.
This type of model is great for the person who has passions that exist outside of their normal money making routine.
4. Problem Solver Model
When I worked in a larger company this tended to be my way of working. Someone would present a problem and assume it needed some training. I would go dig into the problem and figure out a way to modify the process or provide training that would update employee skills.
The problem solver enjoys going from project to project and having the opportunity to help solve issues. The best part is that they don’t need to stick around for the maintenance portion of the job. That would be too boring.
5. Rapper Model
Well, not exactly “rapper,” but I thought it would be interesting. RAP (Random Acts of Passion) is where a person does not have a set project or schedule in place. Upon awakening you would tune into which one of the many passions you have and start digging into one of them them.
This person probably has a rolodex of passions to choose from. Imagine a card deck of 52 passions.
How would this person make money? That is a very good question to ask. Their passions would have to some how be connected to the creation of a product of some sort.
Your Turn
There are 5 different models of working for you to think about. Which one do you think fits your style best?
If you’re feeling a little confused and stagnate, contact me for some coaching