Questions We Pause On

In one’s career, as in life, there are certain junctures where one is compelled to pause and ask oneself questions, sometimes existential ones. In an increasingly dynamic and ever-changing world, these questions have become more frequent and often revolve around quality of life and one’s future. 

Purpose has now become, or is becoming, the central force that propels us forward in life. We have come to seek purpose in everything we do, often making us contemplate where our pursuits are leading us. “Why am I in this role?” “Why am I working in this industry?” “Does this career path lead me to fulfilment?” “Does this align with what I dreamt of becoming when I started off?”. Indeed, these questions are key to the decisions we make along the way in our career.

The Search for Purpose

We tend to invest more energy into pursuits that give us a sense of accomplishment and motivate us to strive forward doubly hard. When we evaluate our actions, our accomplishments and the length and breadth of our journey, we see them through the lens of these very questions. 

For enterprising and entrepreneurial individuals, these questions are even more existential; for them, creating and building things is an important part of their life.

The past few years have been marked by world-changing events. We have witnessed a catastrophic pandemic that brought our lives to a pause and for many — it took away loved ones. In the darkness of this period, many travelled back to their hometowns — leaving behind the cities where work had drawn them. 

People found that, when working from home and not spending time travelling, they had more time on their hands to do things they enjoyed. They could take breaks between work to spend time with family or relax in the comfort of their home. Suddenly, life didn’t simply have to revolve around going to work, working and coming back home, only “living life” on weekends. This has been an important revelation for many. 

Time, Family, and Solitude

Even those of us who were domiciled in the same city found that less time spent in the hustle and bustle provided a sense of peace. “How much of my time each day should revolve around work?” “There is only so much time we can spend with our family and friends. Shouldn’t we cherish this time more?” 

For many, time spent alone might have been uncomfortable — solitude is not a flavour suited to everyone’s palate. “Do I really want my life to only revolve around work or family? Isn’t there a world outside that has something more for me?” 

After the pandemic, people started travelling more. Travelling, seeing the world around them and meeting new people — for many, these things are important. When life takes us away from things we love, we ask ourselves if this is the life we wish to live.

Next, the wars in Eastern Europe and West Asia. For youngsters entering the adult world, it was catastrophic to see the world being thrown into disarray. Suddenly, global supply chains were being disrupted, many countries were adversely affected, and there was a global slowdown in the world economy. 

When you hear friends, colleagues and acquaintances being affected by these adverse conditions, we even question our own lives — “Am I grateful for what I have when there are so many that do not?”

Facing an Uncertain Future

Then came along the behemoth that is AI. Evolving continuously, each day an infinitely better version than the day before. Opportunities that we heard of as students were suddenly shrinking away; growth in pay was slowing to a halt — no one had warned us. 

“We put so much effort towards this, but things change so fast. Is any of this even worth it?” “Anything I do, will it even be enough?” “How much more do I need to do?” “Will AI take away my job?” “How do I AI-proof my career?”

Indeed, life is a series of questions. We pause to watch the grains of sand in the hourglass slip one at a time — hoping to find in this flow the answers that will bring us closer to the individuals and professionals we wish to become.