Brickchat

Disrupt,
Innovate,
Reimagine,
Fast failure,

Thought leader,
Creator,
'Keynote' speaker,
Life-long learner,

Ad nauseam.

The world of work is over run with this recycled rhetoric, this babble of buzzwords. The culprits are the kind of people who justify their existence by compressing five minutes of material into hour-long postulations on 'being the best version of yourself.' The most frustrating part is that they are right.

I can say with certainty that we will all encounter work-related anxiety at some stage. The problems will be as unique as the bodies that carry us through the world. We must all design our own method for navigating these challenges. Inevitably there will be obstacles that require us to deviate from the route. Sadly, we forget this, and like the out of shape average Joe in January, we allow ourselves to be seduced by slick marketers and part with our hard earned time and money in the hope of a fresh start.

When a problem feels too big and too complex, our reflex is to compromise and take the easy route. An overload of information can force a knee-jerk reaction that we later regret. For architects this could mean changing jobs rather than dealing with a difficult client; or confusing budget cuts as an attack on design quality rather than a much needed reality check.

What we have to remember is that the core truths have not changed since our ancestors decided to stand up and walk. In fact that is what we have to keep doing, repeatedly. Stand up and walk on. Discipline and hard work. Sometimes we will succeed with both, and at other times it will feel like neither are getting done.

Working hard and smart is at the centre of living well. Shifting contexts and new challenges will always test us and make us uncomfortable. Architecture is a dynamic and constantly moving target. Graham Stirk of Rogers Stirk Harbour said it best, "as soon as you feel like you've got it, you've lost it."

I realise that some may think I have slipped into the very platitudes that I am criticising, but the irrefutable truth is that these points are the truth. Don't believe the people who say they have the world all figured out, because they don't. This place is bigger and more nuanced than any of us can ever imagine. Embrace imperfection, make a plan, then stand up and walk on.