#55: London trip, part 1
And how I annoyed some people with a LinkedIn post
Hey friends,
Welcome to the 55th edition of the “Level Up Ladder” newsletter.
It’s a bit later than the usual hour, but that’s because it’s a vacation day in Romania, so why not sleep a bit more?
By the way, “Happy Easter” to my Orthodox friends.
1/ “Workation” in London
I didn’t even know this was a term, but apparently it is.
Every day is a workation day for people working remotely full-time. It basically means you are going away somewhere and working from there.
And this is what I did for the first couple of days of this week.
As we had 3 days of vacation this week (1st of May and Easter Friday), we took the opportunity to visit our friends in Bexley, near London, for a week or so.
The “beautiful” English weather welcomed us last Friday, where we spent our first evening out at our favorite pub, “The Railway Tavern”, which is just across from our second favorite pub, “The King’s Head”(I love these pub names in the UK).
We started our Saturday trip into the center of London with a trip to Camden and a Yorkshire pudding wrap at the local food market before walking around the city for a few hours.
On Sunday we did a day trip to Brighton, which is a seaside town with a lovely waterfront. We had some great food, and I ate a Krispy Kreme donut for the first time ever. I’m so glad we don’t have them in Romania, cause I might become addicted.
Brighton is a very lively and diverse city. It’s also the unofficial gay capital of the U.K., with more than 10% of the people identifying themselves as non-straight. We enjoyed it a lot.
We worked on Monday and Tuesday so we just went out for dinner after the workday. As the UK is 2 hours behind Romania, we could close shop around 4 PM and have all the afternoon for ourselves.
Wednesday was the first vacation day, and I spent the largest part of the morning writing on my economics project for my MBA (I can’t wait to finish that), then went to London for a walk, spent the afternoon on a rooftop while waiting to get to our main attraction for the trip.
Which was Wicked, the musical.
I first went to a musical 15 months ago, when we visited our friends for the first time and had tickets to “The Book of Mormons”. I laughed so hard and loved that show that we decided to see one musical every time we were in the city.
And we decided on Wicked this time, as it’s one of the most popular of all time.
I liked the show; it was not as entertaining as the other one but the mise-en-scene, the acting, and the music were brilliant. I would definitely recommend it, and we already know what we’re going to watch next time we’re here: “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”.
But that’s enough for now, as I’ll tell you more about the trip next time.
Now, on to more serious stuff.
2/ Why people should consider Internet opinions just that, opinions
A few days ago, I wrote a LinkedIn post about how people in their 20s should work hard to become successful.
Here is the full post:
And, as expected, some people took this seriously and commented about how I was not right, I didn’t know what I was talking about, and how I should not support overworking, that it leads to burnout, and so on.
People who know me or have worked with me know that is not the case. I am a big supporter of work-life balance. I think that most of the time, overworking is not a virtue but an efficiency and/or prioritization problem. More on that in another issue.
What’s important, though, is to remember that statements made online, even by influential individuals (not that I would consider myself one), are opinions shaped by personal experiences.
They are not universal truths applicable to everyone. While some may resonate with the hardworking model described in the post, others might find success through different paths, emphasizing balance and well-being.
Also, this is a lesson for everyone: when we encounter strong opinions online, especially about something as personal and variable as career paths, it's helpful to approach them with a degree of skepticism.
Consider these views as part of a larger dialogue. Each career journey is unique, and what works for one might not suit another.
Encouraging a variety of viewpoints can provide a more rounded understanding of career development.
It's valuable to seek out and consider multiple perspectives before forming your own opinion. This diversity can reveal alternative strategies and insights that might be more aligned with your personal and professional goals.
Ultimately, how you choose to shape your career is a deeply personal decision.
Whether you prioritize climbing the corporate ladder, achieving work-life harmony, or following a non-traditional path, what matters most is that it aligns with your values and aspirations.
The facts for my journey have been clear: 90% of the people who are now in leadership or influential positions have worked very hard to get there, especially in their 20s.
Something I failed to address in the post is that not all of the people who worked very hard in their 20s are now in those high-level positions. For some of them, it was just hard work.
So if you don’t couple that hard work with some serious career advancement strategies, it will just be that.
Oh, and those people are very hard workers even now.
3/ Recommendations
Schindler’s list
I rewatched this classic a couple of days ago and it’s such a cinematic masterpiece. Even though it’s 3-hours long, it probably is one of the best movies ever made and a reminder of the atrocities we are capable of.
On a more positive note, this is one of the best comedy specials I’ve seen in my life. I laughed so hard at some point that I almost choked.
How The Economic Machine Works by Ray Dalio
I don’t remember if I shared this before, but Ray Dalio’s 30-minute explanation of the economy is a must-watch for everyone.
Thank you for reading, and let me know if you liked something in particular in this newsletter.
I hope you have a great weekend, friends!
Leo
P.S.: If you want to read my content daily, don’t forget to follow me on Linkedin.
P.S. 2: If you want to take your productivity to the next level, check out my extensive Productivity course that can accelerate your career.