Idea – The Lazy Employee

“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.”

― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

I was scrolling somewhere on the internet when I came across this 1.01^356 with the caption “the most motivated thing”. To be honest, I didn’t get at first because it’s numbers that represented some type of data for me. I mean 1.01^356, if calculated out is 34.55. But looking at the numbers closely, there is more significance. 356 represented the days in a year, while 1.01 might be harder to understand but converting it to a percentage, it becomes more understandable as 101%. Thus if we interpret doing the same thing in a day, meaning no improvement or diminishing of self, then we are doing 100%. Statistically speaking, if we improve ourself by 1% each day, by compound interest, we have the potential to improve our self by 34.55%.

To understanding it a bit better, if we start at $1000, and we wanted to save 1% each day. The first day would be $10. The next day, you add another 1%, which makes it $10.10. The 10 cent difference seems small at first, but to think, you added $1020.10 to your savings. In 10 days, you have added 104.62 to your bank account.

Applying it to yourself, studying 1% a day, exercise 1% each day, improving yourself a day becomes much more manageable. Say for example, climbing a mountain seems daunting because the sheer enormity of it, but those who venture into mountain Everest doesn’t do that in one day. (Unless they cheat and take a helicopter ride to the top). It goes to the old adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.

This in itself does become seem a little difficult because perception of the world ask us to be the top of the game now. Meaning the world doesn’t want you to have patience for you to achieve greatness. To “cheat” this ideology is to quickly rise the top, quit the work and find something easier. Which sounds like what I am doing, but not in its entirety. I honestly believe there is nothing to avoid the work but as a lazy employee, I tend to find ways to make it easier. That’s when working effective, efficient, and well lazy makes the difficult work not that hard.

With that being said, that work is needed, and sometimes it might take long, but there is time for it. Just need to change the perception that the world needs you to rush. The world actually, has it time and place for you to go along your pace. “You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.” – Warren Buffett.

How are you moving forward? What’s taking you there?

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
– George Santayana

I have a confession to make. I am an American Millennial. There I said it, I am a millennial, generation Y. A late product of the generation baby boomer era. A generation that went through several presidential terms, that saw the rebellion of generation X, and are entering an environment that the baby boomers left for us.

We are the generation that saw Twin Towers fall, and thus continuing the debate of what is right, wrong, and American. We are the generation that saw the birth of the internet, along the different social networks that came with it. The change of economy and society became swifter, stronger, and scarier. We became the generation that all our parents told us that the future we are currently living was in our hands. We are the generation of the Millennial.

As I sit in front of my computer, drinking my coffee with all it additives, a creation of a need to feel different but also conforming to societies ways, I turn 31. At this age, some say I accomplish a lot. I hold a position of authority, that so much of my generation seek. I am at a stable and settled point in my life. But being at the top I noticed something about my generation in the professional field.

Some of the people in this generation are still struggling, be it getting to the top, or just surviving daily against the travesties of life. So, what causes the struggle? Lack of opportunities? experience? monies? Is it all based on luck or hard work and determination? Many factors contribute this. I got through some obstacles use some strategic tactics and some risky gambling.

At the same time, there are managers, like myself, who are working with this generation, the previous, & future generations. Like parenting, there is no hard wire written book on how we should we be approaching managing much more working with these generations. Looking at the generation as a whole we can make some generalize statements, at the same time, each individual is different bringing their own little story of how and more importantly why they got where they are.

That what I feel is important, hearing everyone’s stories. So everybody, what’s your story?

Tag: Idea

1.01^356

Confession