Your life is about something bigger than yourself.

Today’s posting is a follow up to the last four. It involves how the research administrator and the research scientist look at themselves and their work. To start with, both need to realize that their work is not their life. This is a point worth repeating. Your work is not your life. I say this because most people, men in particular, never come to this understanding as indicated by numerous studies regarding the traumatic effect of retirement. (See Traumatic Effects of Retirement and Traumatic Stress , The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society for examples.) Many times work becomes the primary focus of one’s life. And as a further result, one’s identity is in their work. Aside from the numerous relational, mental, and physical health issues that stem from this belief, it is detrimental to creating and following through with a complete vision.

Remember, complete vision is a very, very big thing. There will be setbacks along the way to completing it. If one’s identity is tied to his work, the research scientist is more apt to be taken out by these setbacks. More importantly, because of its scale, the research scientist will be just one of many individuals contributing to his vision. Fulfilling the complete vision requires the intentional integration of the unique talents and abilities of many lives in a purposeful manner.

The research scientist needs to understand the multiple aspects of his life (he is likely to have a family, etc. as well) and his unique roll in each one. And, 1) that the different parts of his life are at least partially dependent on one another. And 2) that other areas of his life are likely more important than his research. Neglecting one area will adversely affect another. When developing the requirements of his vision, the research scientist must factor in the time commitments of his personal life. Otherwise, both are apt to be thwarted. This brings us to one of life’s great struggles. On one hand our world today needs people fulfilling big visions. On the other is the need to balance home and office requirements. When faced with this struggle, the research scientist (and the rest of us) is often quick to search for what the world needs and then try and do that. This mistake can easily lead to a career that under utilizes his unique gifting and abilities – one that ends in frustration. So make sure the research scientist keeps his vision in line with his life.

We finish today with a quote out of John Eldredge’s book Wild at Heart. You may find it worthwhile to pass it on to your new scientist as he contemplates his vision.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Posted by Jim Wrenn, November 19 2009, blogger@itworks-inc.com