Ep. 23 - Work like a lion [4 / 5]

Over the next five weeks I’ll be doing something a little different. I'm shifting away from the quick, actionable posts to more robust and philosophical articles. The reason behind this pivot is two-fold. First, I don't think there is enough content covering the interconnectedness of work, life, and hereditary adaptations. Second, the actionable lists, motivational posts, and general 'get it done' attitude conveyed in many of my posts doesn't work for all. For some it's daunting and frustrating. So, with that being said it's my goal to shed more light on why I hold such strong beliefs in many aspects of work, and life. This stems from much of the reading I've done on stoicism, history, and the human body. As for the title, well, we're not meant to work like cows, we're meant to work like lions...

Thriving Bodies

There's a reason why obesity is one of the leaders in all-cause mortality in North America. Plainly, we don't move enough. We're stagnant. And stagnation leads to more stagnation (laziness), and so the flywheel continues.

Society is spending more time sitting than ever before, and as days go on we have less motivation to move. Our meals are delivered in minutes, groceries are left at our doorstep, and Web 3.0 (or, the 'Metaverse') will only add fuel to the fire. There are more and more reasons why we end up acting like cows (and sometimes looking like them), as opposed to acting like (and looking like) lions.

For any of the factors below to become effective, we must first tackle the elephant in the room - the majority of our bodies are not thriving. Without a thriving body success will not occur, and if it does, it will be fleeting. A thriving body creates energy, confidence, and stamina. These attributes are crucial to career development or entrepreneurial ventures, creating the perfect foundation to build, create, and learn.

Modernity & Work

Currently, 99% of the population works like cows. Think of a cow - they graze all-day long, slowly and methodically, looking bored in the process. They're slow, and they need to continually eat grass to have enough sustenance. They will eat the same amount everyday - day in, and day out.

Now compare this to the average worker. This individual walks into work at 8:30am and begins grazing all day. They can likely get their work done in 4 hours, but they need to be there. So, grazing it is. This leads to much more 'ass in chair' time, which leads to evermore obesity, fuelling the fly-wheel. They don't have time to look for opportunities or explore new interests, because their head is always down chewing on the grass (aka accepting the toxic salary).

Now, let's look at how a lion operates. Lions for the most part rest all day. They conserve their energy, and when the time is right they pounce. When the opportunity presents itself (gazelle/start-up idea) they will force their entire effort into that objective. Then, when they catch their prey it can usually feed their family (or tribe). Plus, the lion is fit, fast, and muscular. Win, win.

Obviously, this is simplistic and I'm not a zoologist. However, the correlation to how we should work, and how we operate best is uncanny.

Working like a Lion

Think about the major differences between lions and cows, and now let's apply it to common 'career' advice. Typically, we are told to get a good job out of university, save diligently to retire at 65, and then enjoy 15 years of freedom (if you're lucky). I've said this before, and I'll say it again, this is the worst trade ever. However, this is how cows operate. They graze for years, eating (earning) just enough to live, with their head-down. And I'm not saying that people don't work hard in their careers, as some work too hard.

If you're a talented individual who puts in long, focused hours at a company you don't own than the effort is not worth the reward. What if you were to pour that effort into your own company? Potentially (no guarantees) that hard work wouldn't need to be for 40 years; rather it could be 5 years. The lion, when they're excited, passionate, and spot opportunity have the ability to feed their families for generations to come, not just the following month.

Alas, not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. I love it, and some hate it. To each their own. However, I think the lion analogy can work for anyone in his or her career. It could look something like this:

• Don't be tied to a company. See an amazing opportunity at a new firm? Do it - regardless of how long you've been at your previous job. Pounce on opportunities.
• Make asymmetric bets. Spot a company in the 200 - 400 person range that is going public in the next 3-5 years. Put in your work, get your stock options, and wealth could become plentiful.
• Similarly, the profits earned from your career can be diverted into passion projects that have asymmetry. For example, I started investing heavily into Bitcoin and then Ethereum in the fall of 2020. The two cryptocurrencies now make up a large percentage of my portfolio. This is how major gains are made - through concentration of assets, which are a by product of passion, curiosity, and making calculated bets.

Pounce on opportunities. Focus on working in sprints. Make asymmetric bets. Be a lion.