The “Project” perspective

We’ve all had “Projects” of our own design from time to time. In fact I’ll bet my golf clubs that most people derive more satisfaction from the completion of personal projects than those accomplished at their “J.O.B.” (just over broke)…

You know, the weekend project you planned while watching the clock at work, or that impulse buy at Home Depot that resulted in a new deck? I can tell you from personal experience that a day doing something that I decided to do, (rather than what a boss dictated), produces a profound sense of creation. That is of course, unless you happen to be “the boss”, and you can tell others what to do…

My Grandfather worked at a mill in upstate NY for most of his adult life, retiring with a small pension, and a small gold watch. My Father worked for a while with one company, but then moved on to another, and later another. For the last few decades it’s become increasingly clear that they day of ONE JOB for life is as dead as the buggy whip. That is, if you can even find a job in this “new recession”…

I think Seth Godin said it best in one his recent blogs, “The forever recession (and the coming revolution)…

“The future is about gigs and assets and art and an ever-shifting series of partnerships and projects.”

The little blue collar town where I was born was founded by entrepreneurs in the timber industry, manufacturing, and “Mom and Pop” shops. Those were different times, for our American culture, society, and economy.  Many of those industries or careers, just aren’t coming back folks…

Yet the good news about this new age of  work “Projects”, is that they don’t last a lifetime, at least not for 40 years like my late Grandfather. Projects have a shorter life span, a timeline that can be perceived. Once they’re done, you move on, hopefully to bigger and better things.

Perhaps the age of the entrepreneur is upon us again, as the majority of the population worked for themselves up until the “industrial age”. My heritage, (at least that of which I am aware), goes back to rugged individualism, loggers and farmers. People had more control over what they did for a living (pre-corporate America), and what they did with their lives.

If you don’t have a few “projects” on the back burner, a side business you can create, your perception might be that it’s too late…