Daily Archives: November 7, 2010

Millennials, by Millennials

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Form the blog, Blatant Careerist, comes this article by Ryan Healy entitled, “Twentysomething: Why I don’t want Life/Work Balance,” on attitudes concerning work/life blending, older people, liking one’s career, and the like.

He writes:

I wholeheartedly believe that my life has a purpose. My purpose is to be
successful, genuinely happy and to make a difference in this world
somewhere along the way. Not a single one of these values can take a
backseat to another. The balance doesn’t work, we already know this. I
don’t want to choose. I want a blended life…

The lines between work and life have been blurred for years. I have
decided to embrace this fact and work on the best blend for my life.
Whether this means working hours that fit around my schedule or being
paid for results rather than the amount of hours worked, I’m not sure. I
will leave that question to the management consultants and human
resource experts. In the meantime my peers and I will keep searching for
this blended life, while everyone else continues to run in circles
failing to achieve their so-called balance.

His attitude on enjoying work is positive and he doesn’t seem to so easily compartmentalize his life.  Plus, his comment on the reality of those who try to find balance in life and work are true, for the most part.  Really, that comment is a commentary on the failure of most to find such a balance and there are many reasons for this.  It does not, of course, negative the healthy benefits of balance in life! Yet…

The alternative or difference given to our society by the teachings of Christ present the concept of Sabbath rest – a time apart. This in no way negates life/work blending, but the possibility of self-expansion and intentional self-reflection in realms and ways not generally supported by our culture any longer (aside from just giving our brains a rest).

I wonder if there will be substantial change when family, particularly children, come into play?  I know that many childless couples relationships are far less “traditional” in terms of communication, time spent together, work and life, etc.  Yet, kids have a way of changing one profoundly and one’s view, attitudes, and actions on all manner of things.  If extended adolescents is really what is going on here, when Ryan and others really do enter into adulthood (and, of course, that whole statement is up for grabs) will all this change?  Will he end up taking on more of an attitude of the “older people” who value their “home time” that he is so careful not to interrupt?

Life Blurring & Blending

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Here is an article from the New York Times by Marci Alborher entitled, “Blurring by Choice and Passion,” in the “Small Business” section on job shifting.  She begins by writing about growing up and the blurring that seemed to take place between the life and work of her parents, who owned a string of shore-side motels along the Jersey shore.

She then writes about her shift in careers from being a lawyer (as a protest against her parents’ blurred lifestyle) to being a journalist, and finds that she has returned to the “blended” or “blurred” work/life lifestyle.  As she writes, as a blurring or blending takes place, it has a lot to do with how much you enjoy your work – seems obvious.

She writes:

“But somehow, I have found my way back to a life with few boundaries.
And I rarely complain about it. Whether you see yourself as a workaholic
or as someone who merely blurs the line between work and play has lot
to do with whether you like your work… Could it be that blurring and blending are the new work/life balance? …In
addition to entrepreneurs like my parents, blurring is rampant among
those who fashion a career out of a passion…”

Yet, I wonder how an effect balance is reached and kept that mitigates
against burnout or obsession?  It can be hard to keep oneself balanced,
at least that is what I find in my own life.

Yes, my work and life are just about completely blurred and blended.  Perhaps that is the nature of being a priest, where the passion for God’s people and Kingdom is blatant.  I find recognizing (really recognizing, not just knowing about) that place of healthy work/life balance and staying there is really tough. That became painfully clear during my self-evaluations during my recent CREDO experience.

I just finished watching a video from 60-Minutes on the Millennial generation and their life/work habits and attitudes, entitled, “The Millennials Are Coming.” From this video piece, it could be argued that the whole generation (in the aggregate, of course) has developed a work/life blurring/blending lifestyle.  I wonder what the percentage might be among the whole population of those who are actually able to do this sort of thing?  Consider, also, that this video what shot before the economic downturn.  I wonder what might be said, now?  Extended adolescents and moving back home with the parents may only be compounded.

But, I want to pick up on this idea of life/work blurring and blending.  I’m wondering how this might transfer over to our efforts in finding new ways of translating the enduring Faith to emerging generations and the emerging culture.  The concept of blurring life and faith – one’s everyday life experiences with the reality of one’s faith/religious life – might be something to consider and expand. If this kind of concept caught on, there might be fewer attempts to compartmentalize one’s life, thus alienating huge parts of one’s life – actions, thoughts, and beliefs – from what goes on any given “Sunday morning.” The reality of the Life in Christ, the ability to live out as fully as possible Christ with us, should reflect a complete blending and blurring of life/faith.

If the trend of life-work blurring and blending is the new norm, will it be easier to convey the life-faith blurring and blending that really is a better understanding of the Christian life?  After all, such passion certainly is a descriptive of those whose lives reflect the image of God in profound ways.  To be the imago Dei, how could there not be a blurring and blending of life, work, faith, play, relationships, and all else that we encounter?

The CBS, 60-Minutes video from 2007: