Thriving in 24/7: Six Strategies for Taming the New World of Work

Thriving in 24/7 takes as its starting point the fact that today’s 24/7 environment has transformed the rules of work.

Cheap, fast, and portable networked technologies give us a huge amount of freedom. But they’ve also invaded our private spaces and intensified the demands upon our time. This requires us to set our own boundaries. And to keep adjusting them as circumstances evolve.

Few of us understand how to do this. And so we struggle to work harder, faster, and smarter. We discipline ourselves not to waste our moments. And we multi-task in hopes of keeping up. Yet our heroic efforts often have the effect of robbing us of spontaneity and joy. Even pleasures that should refresh us feel like items on an endless to-do list that threatens to swallow us up.

This book offers a path forward by identifying strategies suited to our new world of work.

These include:

• Starting at your core. Confront your personal history. Locate your inner voice. Get comfortable in the neutral zone. Take inventory on a regular basis
• Incorporating the principle of zigzag. Think in terms of projects, engagements, and gigs. Plan to keep learning all your life. Defining what you mean by loyalty. internalizing optimism
• Creating your own work (even if you stay in your job). Articulate your value. Integrating your passions. Identify your personal market. Run your own shop. Target multiple centers of gravity
• Building a strong web of inclusion. Go deep fast. Understand the strength of weak ties. Grab and share the spotlight. Master the art of looking people up.
• Branding yourself unforgettably. Be highly intentional about your practices, materials, design, and the symbols you use.
• Integrating renewal into your every day. Connect with timeless rhythms. Identify the true sources of your joy. Practicing on-the-spot awareness. Cultivate the elements of Slow.