#4 Sunday Studio: A Weekly Retreat
books/ideas/things to try/exploring/research insights
Photo: Amanda Norgaard
This week, for no apparent reason, I found myself rebelling against ordinariness and the mundane. I said no to some things I didn’t want to or couldn’t do and to some people who were treating me in a way I was uncomfortable with.
As a recovering people-pleaser, this isn’t easy.
This theme is starkly apparent in the new research and suggested readings this week. A pushback against bureaucracy, “bullshit jobs”, invisible work, and no longer settling for unhappiness.
But what if we don’t have the agency or the energy to do this right now? I’m obsessed with how I might take small actions to create moments of beauty in my days, no matter how fleeting they might be.
Like buying this hand-churned maple butter from Pepe Sayer.
And raspberry jam so decadent it transports you to a whole other place.
Paired with Cedric Grolet worthy croissants, or bread that is a whole experience in itself.
And writing out my plans for the week on the textured beauty of an MD Paper notebook.
These might seem like small things. Things we tell ourselves aren’t worth the sometimes exorbitant prices that accompany them.
One of the defining drivers of the research and work that I do is about creating change that creates a life less ordinary.
This week, take the moment of beauty any chance you can get. Savour your favourite treat in a beautiful cafe. Buy the jam (and the maple butter). And notice the profound differences from the bland, mass-produced ordinariness we accept as normal.
Such steps also support small makers and independent retail, something else I’m passionate about.
NEW RESEARCH
The State of Engagement
📈 67% of Australian and New Zealand employees are not engaged and 13% are actively disengaged according to Gallup's latest report on the State of the Australian and New Zealand Workplace in 2023.
📈 Nearly 5 in 10 Australian employees report experiencing a lot of stress the previous day.
📈 4 in 10 Australian employees are actively looking for another job.
"What would change about your workplace to make it better?"
Responses included:
- Managers to be more approachable allowing employees to talk openly
- Fair opportunities for advancement
- Learning opportunities
- Increased recognition
- Clearer goals and guidance
- More autonomy
- Greater respect
The Gallup report can be found here.
Red tape can strangle your key asset as an employee
A fantastic article on the rise of bureaucracy in companies and the negative effects on motivation.
As management experts Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini wrote in their 2020 book Humanocracy:
bureaucracy has been growing, not shrinking – a fact that is correlated, we believe, with the worrying slowdown in global productivity growth, a phenomenon that bodes for living standards and economic opportunity.
While all organisations need processes to run, increasing bureaucracy has led to a proliferation of what economic anthropologist David Graeber pithily termed “bullshit jobs”:
Huge swathes of people, in Europe and North America in particular, spend their entire working lives performing tasks they secretly believe do not really need to be performed. The moral and spiritual damage that comes from this situation is profound. It is a scar across our collective soul.
This helps explain why productivity is slowing and worker engagement is declining, with so many dissatisfied with their jobs.
One problem is many managers are trained in “scientific management,” which aims to improve efficiency by encouraging individuals not to problem-solve but to focus instead on performing simple, repetitive tasks as effectively as possible.
Read it here.
EXPERIENCE
A friend posted about the experience of attending an in-person book club this week. The ambience, design features, intimate connections, food, and of course, the books. It’s on my list to find one close to me (or start one - let me know if you are interested).
On books (always), I love this interactive feature in the New York Times about a boat that brings books and comfort to isolated villages along Norway’s coast. Watch and read more here.
Spaces to transform work and life
This room by Rob Mills Architects is my dream workspace for the week. High ceilings, immersive nature views, dappled light (vital in the searing Australian heat), a couch to disappear into, different spaces to sit and work, and an artful floral arrangement. I wrote more this week about how to choose places and spaces for work and inspiration in your home and city. Read it here.
READ
The War of Art by Steve Pressfield. A timeless classic that you can’t read too many times, on resistance and putting our work out into the world.
Doing invisible work or picking up the slack from others? A great read about the dangers of invisible work in Time this week. Read
And in the Financial Times a story about WFH, productivity metrics, and happiness. Read
INSPIRATION AND IDEAS TO TRY
Go through your calendar for the upcoming week.
What lights you up?
What are you doing out of fear?
Where are you hiding from putting out the work you want to do or the person you want to be?
What are you stopping yourself from doing?
If we step out of the rush hour, notice what matters to us, and get off the beaten path, there are signals everywhere to get us out of fear, uphold hope, and bring us joy.
Let me know in the comments what you might try this week and anything that resonates with you.
Libby x