Reflection On The Book "How Will You Measure Your Life?" By Clayton M. Christensen

Christensen suggested three main self-guiding questions and two recommendations. He thought that excellent questions could do more for you than direct answers. The lack of questioning could also prevent you from reaching your own conclusions.

How Do I Relate To The Author?

You can learn more about Clayton Christensen on his own website. Christensen was a renowned professor at Harvard Business School and was featured as one of the 50 most influential Thinkers in business. He developed the theory and coined the term Disruptive Innovation at the end of the 90s. Ben Thompson, the founder of Stratechery, often comments on how Christensen influenced his work. You can find more of his amazing work in the business articles of HBR.

Since this is not a mere book on business management but a commentary on life meaning, I like to comment on Clay Christensen's personal beliefs that follow the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, better known as Mormons. I have a very different view on Christianity and do not see Mormon doctrine as the same as Christian doctrine. I hope to expand more in another blog post.

Nevertheless, Clayton's creationist worldview can help give meaning to life. I found the book inspirational and helpful because I am passionate about entrepreneurship and living a meaningful life. Two things that Clayton was passionate about as well.

“When I have my interview with my God, our conversation will focus on the individuals whose self-esteem I was able to strengthen, whose faith I was able to reinforce, and whose discomfort I was able to assuage—a doer of good, regardless of what assignment I had. These are the metrics of that matter in measuring my life. This realization, which occurred nearly fifteen years ago, guided me every day to seek opportunities to help people in ways tailored to their individual circumstances. My happiness and my sense of worth has been immeasurably improved as a result.” ― Clayton Christensen.

The Three Questions:

In one of his courses at Harvard Business School, he used to teach how different business theories could help determine why things are happening in the way they are happening with different organizations, markets, and economies. What actions will yield what results. At the end of the course, Christensen asked the students to turn this new set of glasses into their own life and explain why their life is the way it is and what would happen to them if they continued their course of action.

Christensen's three questions to his students are: How can I be sure I'll be happy in my career? How can I be sure that my relationship with my spouse and family becomes an enduring source of happiness? How can I be sure I'll stay out of jail?

How Can I Be Sure I'll Be Happy In My Career?

Here Christensen reflects on Frederik Herzberg, who talks about how money is not (or shouldn't be) the biggest motivator in our lives. Instead, opportunities to learn, grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements are more relevant as motivators.

I am on my personal journey to find a career path at the time of this writing. After closing my last business, I started higher education studies to learn more about business management and engage in networking. Also, I have been thinking about digital marketing and learning new things about it. Regarding contribution and responsibilities, I lack these aspects; therefore, there is not much achievement to be recognized for. I can assure you that this has an emotional impact because I do want to be, not just to feel, productive and useful.

Being a husband and a father, it may seem difficult for you to believe that I can afford to take the time to figure out what career path fits me. However, I find myself in an advantageous position because I do have a short window of time to contemplate future steps.

How Can I Be Sure That My Relationship With My Spouse And Family Becomes An Enduring Source Of Happiness?

Christensen talks about how the strategies you choose to implement impact your decision-making process. The good allocation of your resources, such as mind, time, money, and emotional capacities, can make significant life changes in the short or long run. So it is a matter of not being short-sighted when strategizing your life.

The same holds true for your relationships. You need your limited resources to grow relationships, and in the case of your family, I believe most of us will agree it is an investment worth making.

I do not believe that happiness, or at least long-lasting happiness, can be achieved if you do not have the correct lenses to see an adverse situation and still hold to the hope of better days to come. More so, finding long-lasting happiness in fallible human beings that are just a mess like me is a complicated undertaking, to say the least. You can expect to be disappointed by your closest ones and yourself disappointing others.

I am starting my marriage, and now I have the opportunity to prioritize my wife and daughter; I want our relationship to keep growing over the years and not find ourselves being strangers in years to come. I think if I am able to serve them and help them to be successful in their God-given talents and find meaning in their own lives, they will be happy. If I am lucky enough, which I am regarding my wife, she will want the same for me, facilitating a positive feedback loop with mutual life goals at the core.

I found in my Christian worldview that my hope of a coming day of restoration for nature, for relationships, for making the wrongs right, and for us to meet our Creator is the ultimate source of happiness. Seeing my loved ones live a life that shares that hope and that guides their life strategy, and decision-making brings happiness to my heart.

How Can I Be Sure I'll Stay Out Of Jail?

The author makes an interesting comparison between business marginal cost and day-to-day life marginal cost. Where do you draw a line in the sand to say, "I won't do that." In your daily life, the marginal cost of being caught on something illegal could cost you time in jail. Being unfaithful to your spouse can lead you to a broken relationship with your spouse and kids. Once you decide to lower the bar, it is a risky game you end up playing, and as with most gambles, the odds are not in your favor.

Even more important is that lowering the bar of morality speaks of our lack of self-control and discipline. There is no point in doing something that will ultimately hurt us, yet we do it anyways. The human rationale is something fascinating. We sometimes run fast towards short moments of gratification and block our self-preserving instinct that knows what is right.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun and short read and overall, worth the time spent. I think reflective questioning is always a good way to be a good listener to others and ourselves. For sure, the one that gets me thinking the most is "stay out of jail" I do not want to lose precious time with my loved ones and the opportunity to progress in life because of stupid decisions and a lack of self-discipline.

Javier F.