The pandemic has been a disruptor… of many things. One large area it is disrupting is how people view work and their careers. There’s a realization that has been brought to the forefront that life is short and it’s not guaranteed. It’s prompting awareness and introspection around how our work fits into our lives.

In order to understand where this is coming from, we have to get a sense of how we’ve viewed work in the past.

In the past, the agricultural and industrial economies meant that the majority of workers settled for a steady job close to their home. The mindset at that time was: work hard and provide a stable life for the family… then retire, be happy and live stress-free. There was also a mindset that work is how one defines oneself and that work should be painful because it builds character and validates existence.

Welcome the information/knowledge economy, in which we’re still doing a lot of the same things in the past without questioning if they still make sense – i.e.: 40 hour work weeks.

COVID’s disruption is prompting the questions: “What if I want happiness now?” “Isn’t it possible to find fulfillment in the present moment in our jobs and still support ourselves financially?” In the past, “work” and “life” have been seen as two very separate things, but the boundary has slowly (or rapidly) become less black and white. 

Additionally, the pandemic exacerbated weak leadership and organizations that don’t value, motivate, or develop their employees. The organizations that are more strategic are now making a reactive attempt to boost morale and show they value and support their employees, yet according to the NYT Article, “Welcome to the YOLO Economy,” employees are ditching their full time jobs in search of more fulfillment, purpose, and meaning.

The result? Business formations during the pandemic were up 23% from the prior year.