Witness every sunrise and sunset.

INSIGHT

Our concepts of work/life are changing into just “life” — adhering more to a natural rhythm of doing things.

The 8 hour work day does not have much of an instituted history. Though passed as a law in 1867, followed by a long series of labor union demonstrations for enforcement and adherence, it wasn’t really standardized until 1926. To attract better workers and create higher wages without pay out, it was capitalism and Henry Ford (with the influence of labor unions combatting the grueling toll 10-12 hours would have on manual labor jobs) that made “9-to-5” a thing. But already within a mere span of around 60-80 years, depending on how progressive your employer is, the concept of 9-to-5 is breaking down. However, the mentality of it still remains.

Though originally created for better working conditions, 9-to-5 has become today’s assembly-line prison of white and blue collar workers alike; not necessarily complaining about the number of hours anymore but the expectation from employers of some kind of accounted clock-in. Work has changed. Employers are finding new ways to incentivize those who want security and freedom at the same time; replacing the eight-hour work day with flexible hours, remote working, summer hours, team building days and surfing Fridays. I still somewhat protest these as possible bandaids to the meaningless constraints of employed work. The idea that putting in hours means putting in effort is ludicrous, on top of the idea that my eight hours does not equal his eight hours (on many fronts, time and money). That hiring anyone for a job, whether it’s a role within a company, consulting for one, or venture building for another is about the outcome. Or the legacy for those in it for the long haul. And that has nothing to do with hours.

I portend that the more important clock here to ensure a successful outcome is our body clock: a way to design work around our circadian rhythms. When we are in-tune, rising with the sun, setting with it, optimizing our productivity in well-managed stressful blocks rather than drawn out cortisol-laden hours on end, then we all know we’ll produce better work.

INSPIRATION

Nomad Capitalist

Andrew Henderson has flawlessly captured a market of those who want to live a life on their own clock if they choose; helping globally-mobile high earners reduce their tax rates (legally) and start designing a life rather than working towards one. He offers well-researched insights and a knowledgable perspective from ten years of fearlessly experimenting on all this stuff himself to pioneer the way.

INNOVATION

“Nomadica”

Citizenship to a recognized virtual nation state: one that elevates beyond political sovereign borders but devises work/life policies and benefits for its members that are comparable to any country, only taking into account their “citizens” live everywhere in the world; possibly in nomadic hubs/co-living/co-working situations.

• Petitioned to the UN to govern as a “nation-state” under a separate grouping of laws for those whom don’t have nationalist ties to any country. On paper, is as relevant as any small nation (i.e. like Brunei) with a cabinet or rulers (democratically elected), treasury, healthcare, social security as well as treaties with other countries to recognize their citizens as important “global connecters” of the world.

• Pre-requisites require that all citizens live internationally (nomadically) and are not tied to one country, are self-employed, contracted for their nomadic status or entrepreneurs. Citizenship is obtained through a combination of paid ‘investments’ into the Treasury that helps distribute risk across all citizens along with pre-requisites (international status, more than 50% of life spent outside of country of origin, higher educational status, and desire to work on social causes in life).

• Benefits stretch equally to all citizens so long as they are equally dedicated to pay into a social fund for the nation-state to take care of all peoples.