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Hey Reader 👋🏻

As you read this, I invite you to have a little check-in with yourself.

• How's your energy?
• What was the last thing you were excited about?
• Are you feeling motivated to do the things you know you need to get done?
• Are you happy?

Are you happy. That's a tough question to answer truthfully.

I think most people, if asked, would have a default (possibly self preserving) answer ready "yeah I'm good" / "I'm great" followed by a quick deflect, "thanks, how are you?".

But if you actually sit with that question it can be tough and confronting. From my experience, I think it's very common to be so busy with the day-to-day of life and work that happiness isn't even a consideration.

It's also very easy to assume that everyone around you is happy and thriving because that's the image most people portray in casual interactions, on social media, in a LinkedIn post. But if we are being honest and really ruminate on that question, we may find some unhappy truths.

Quick note: despite what's promised, I am not actually sharing any practical PX Product insights today, sorry about that. I haven't written for a while and felt like being a little more reflective today. If you are only here for the PX insights, feel free to checkout another recent edition of the newsletter:

I am very grateful that I genuinely have a lot to be happy about which provides me with an anchor and a context in which to assess all other aspects of my life. Top of that list is my wife and my children. Take away everything else I have and leave me just with my family and you will find me a happy man.

The reflections I share in todays writing should always be viewed in that context. I am deeply grateful and happy with the life Nish and I have created and the two beautiful souls we have brought into this world. 💜

But happiness isn't a constant state. Nor is motivated, or energised, or excited. They all ebb and flow, affected by a variety of trivial and significant external events and experiences.

The last 4 weeks I have been sensing the early stages of burnout. Things that used to make me happy no longer bring the same joy. Things I was excited about now feel like burdens to carry. My motivation, usually reliable and stedfast, all but disappeared. Exhaustion sets in during the early evening.

Outwardly, this didn't make sense. New clients won. PX Live delivered. Exciting projects kicking-off. SapienX evolving and growing... But as the pre-burnout symptoms set in, the questions that begin to surface:

• Who is all of this for?
• Why does this not feel how I imagined it would?
• Am I actually doing what I want to do?

The question of purpose comes to mind. The day-to-day tasks now feel devoid and disconnected from a once illuminating purpose. Has that left me? or am I just f'in exhausted?

Timely then that my wonderful friend, Jessica Zwaan, was in London this week for a launch event for her new book; Purpose and Work. 🥳

This was a genuine timely coincidence.

I was fortunate to get to read the book pre-release towards the end of last year. It had sparked some really interesting thoughts at the time around my relationship with work as a founder. It's kinda strange, I am not "employed" to do a job, so it's difficult to remember that even though I don't have an employer as such, I am still engaged in the act of "work". I still have a job to do (many actually).

Jessica and I have a mutual friend in Dart Lindsley. A question he often asks is; "what do you hire your job to do for you?". A fascinating question (inspired by the Jobs To Be Done theory) to ask as it relates to the concept of work as a product and as it relates to purpose and work.

In my pre-burnout state, attending the launch event and hearing Jessie read excerpts from the book, and to be reminded of Dart's incisive question, came at just the right time for me.

So, what do I hire my job to do for me?

Freedom. That's always been my goal with breaking free from traditional employment. To create as much freedom as possible for myself and my family.

Suddenly my pre-burnout symptoms made sense. Despite all the freedom to choose how I spend my time, I had inadvertently created a pattern of work and life that had taken away many of the freedoms I had been so eager to protect.

If the goal is freedom why do I spend more time than ever doing work? Why do I so often "miss my window" to get out for run in the day? Why am I constantly exhausted?

And the worst of it all... Why can't I remember the last time I went out for dinner with friends? Why do I only see my parents every couple of months when they live in the same city? Why do I feel guilty when I choose not to work?

Something isn't right here.

No wonder I don't have any energy for the things I used to enjoy. No wonder the excitement for what I am building has left me. No wonder I feel so unmotivated. The purpose that had once driven me, the pursuit of freedom, feels further away than ever.

Time for a bit of a rebalance.

As is our way, whenever we need to get some clarity of thought, Nish and I grab a coffee and go for a walk. For two days in a row we did that this week. The the output of those walking thinking sessions (aside from some other strategic decisions made about the second half of this year) is a working hypothesis to test...

Working hypothesis: we will be more productive, more happy and more free if we have a flexible and focused 4 hour working block each day.

So, we are going to implement core working hours: 10am - 2pm.

Before 10am, guilt free time to do the school drops, exercise, read, write - whatever we want to do with our time.

Focused block of work 10 till 2.

Post 2pm, more guilt free time to pick the kids back up, spend time with them, play, or even work if we want to, anything goes.

I believe with focus and clarity, those 4 hour blocks will be plenty of time to move the business forward at a consistent and compounding rate, whilst creating a whole lot more time for the freedom to enjoy all aspects of life.

There will be acceptable exceptions, not least client engagements, delivery, events, timezone matching etc but those exceptions will be on our terms as much as possible.

An important call out here is that my personal purpose; the pursuit of freedom - is not the same as the purpose of SapienX.

SapienX has it's own distinct purpose; Improve work, society and the world. In that order.

The two co-exist.

It's an important reminder that an individuals personal sense of purpose does not have to come from the organisations purpose. Cool if that is the case, but not at all necessary. As long as the job the individual is hiring their job to do for them creates a sense of - or connects to - a personal purpose, that's great!

It's definitely time to end the purpose-washed cult like employment relationships where individuals are forced to make the company mission their personal mission. It's not necessary and it's not healthy.

I hope this was a useful share. If not useful, I hope it was interesting.

I know it isn't necessarily why you subscribed, but I enjoy sharing these personal reflections among the practical and tactical product stuff.

And actually in this case, they are not entirely unrelated. As you go about designing and building the product of work, this is the sort of idea you need to be grappling with.

I will leave you with Dart's question; what do you hire your job to do for you?

Really give that some thought and if you feel comfortable, hit reply and let me know what answers surfaced.

Sending love and if your answers to my opening questions set off some red flags for you too, please give yourself the time and space to reflect, recharge and reprioritise. 🙏🏻

OK, that’s a wrap for this week.

Grab your coffee and open up your inbox same time next week for (the return of) insights, tips, and resource flags on how to smash HR silos, add strategic value and turn your People function into a growth driver 🚀

With love,

Luke ✌🏻

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