This Working Life: How to Navigate Your Career in Uncertain Times

by Lisa Leong, Monique Ross

This Working Life is the book you need to navigate your career with courage, openness and a good dose of laughter in these chaotic and uncertain times. Springing off the success of her ABC podcast, Lisa Leong, together with journalist Monique Ross, is bringing a deep curiosity to the world of work.

You spend most of your waking life working – a jaw-dropping 90,000 hours for the average person. You deserve to feel joy during that time. But how?

This Working Life empowers you to experiment in the lab of life. You’ll reflect on your highs and lows, harness your superpowers and pinpoint your guiding values. You’ll learn the importance of empathy as you craft a job or curate a portfolio career that can grow with you. You’ll unlock the power of rituals, community and self-care, and build resilience that will help you face life’s inevitable curveballs.

Lisa and Monique get personal, sharing hard-won learnings from their own lives. This Working Life also features insights from world-leading thinkers like Dorie Clark, Jeremy Utley and Dan Klein, and practical activities to help you take action.

No matter where you are, or where you want to be, This Working Life will help you get there.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Business, Personal Development, Self Help

304 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Already being a big fan of Lisa Leong's podcast This Working Life, I was keen to read this book, and even though my expectations were high, this book managed to exceed it.

It's hard to describe this book - it's part memoir, part career guidance handbook, part investigative journalism - and I feel like this book as a whole sums up the essence of Lisa's personal journey through her own career, culminating in the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

And yes, this is very much a product of its time, where we have reached an existential crisis about our identity as workers after the challenges of the past two years. Lisa and Monique gently take our hand and lead us on a journey, trying to make sense of ourselves, the working world we live in, and the interventions that we can make in our lives to find what Lisa terms a 'work-life coherence'.

I personally related to so much in this book, especially as somebody who has currently been navigating divergent career paths, on what I've learnt is now called a 'portfolio career'. It's helpful to give names to all of these experiences that I felt were rare and idiosyncratic - and it's comforting to know that I haven't been alone in my experiences.

Whilst Lisa, Monique and her collaborators have presented a vast array of perspectives, what I also appreciated was how this book regularly takes moments to invite the reader to reflect on their own experiences and viewpoints - acknowledging that whilst there are many shared experiences, everybody is also on their own path.

At its heart, this book gives the reader the courage to experiment with their career - treat it as a scientific lab of sorts - and approach our working lives with empathy, kindness and love. It dares us to demand more from the working world, and take the opportunities that have presented itself through the disruption caused by the recent pandemic to create a better world for us to work in.

[Chelsey with a y · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good and I got quite a bit out of it although some of it didn’t apply to me. Was still a great read

[CatReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down. In This Working Life, Lisa Leong with Monique Ross write on the oversaturated topic of finding satisfaction in one's career. Most books in this genre contain at least some memoristic elements, but the Ebook version of This Working Life I read is heavily dosed in autobiographical details of both authors and copious, over-indulgent amounts of doodled artwork that made me question whether I was reading a picture book.

That being said, with doodles and life stories removed, there are some good points in this book, though I was too annoyed with the pictures and folksy, overly-relatable tone to sift around and find them.

Further reading: career books I would recommend
So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport
No Fears, No Excuses: What You Need to Do to Have a Great Career by Larry Smith
Strategize to Win: The New Way to Start Out, Step Up, or Start Over in Your Career by Carla Harris

My statistics:
Book 190 for 2024
Book 1793 cumulatively

[Ayn Nys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I am treating it like a reference book that I will use to address various situations at work such as stress. I especially like how much of the advice rests on values and these values are differentiated between the values the reader has when they are thriving and the ones they have when they are surviving. This is such an important distinction to make.

[Bradley Blaylock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is okay! I appreciate the drive to find joy in work. The book identifies stress as a major thief of joy in work, and I find this to be true. Solid read!

[Kelly Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many bookmarked ideas I’m going to go back to. It certainly made me think about my work and my future either in it or not.

[Jack Burgemeister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I needed, very good tips about navigating career focus and identifying individual values and strengths. Recommend if you’re going through a bit of an identity crisis or seeking change

[Emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only recently turned into career/life balance books, and somehow this one really captured the tidbits of wisdom that resonated with me. Outside of work itself, the author (in her charming voice) speaks to habits and self-care and career portfolios that reminds us that life takes us through twists and unexpected turns. I’d like to reread with the physical copy to work through some brilliant ideas shared here.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book on enjoying the job you have, having a positive mix of work and non-work life, and building a portfolio career so you don’t have just one string to your bow. Lots of good tips for people who enjoy the podcast of the same name as well as those who’ve never heard of it. A good resource for modern working times no matter what your level of experience.

[Revellee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book I thought at first I would hate because the author is so unnaturally cheery, hopeful, and well-balanced. Ugh. So unrealistic. 😜
However, she acknowledges that her joyful outlook and privileged position in life is uniquely her own and that everyone has their own journeys and ways to be.

This books covers a lot of topics I’ve heard discussed at various leadership/business/professional development conferences and such:
Identifying core values, resiliency, identifying your strengths, gratitude practices, pivoting, burnout, work life balance/coherence, imposter thoughts/syndrome, growth mindset, routines, importance of nature, mentoring.
This book does more than just talk about these topics though, the author also includes a PDF workbook to accompany her practical steps and how-to advice with lots of resources. I really appreciated that this wasn’t just examples from her own life that led to her own successes and joy, but also some real exercises the reader can use and apply if they so choose.

Topics that were new to me: job crafting and portfolio careers. This book actually called me to action to finally get the ball rolling on a side gig I’ve been wanting to do for a while. So thanks, Lisa!

[indy · Rating 2 out of 5]

My expectations were high when I found this at the bookshop, based on the testimonials on the cover. I haven't heard much of the ABC podcast, unlike some readers who approach the title as fans of the program. There are some helpful exercises that I'll possibly come back to, but it's not the "brilliant toolkit" Marc Fennell makes it out to be. Three ideas caught my attention enough to mark them with a sticky note, but they're all in the first 120 pages. I struggled with the second half and found it increasingly less fun to read as I approached the finish.

I accept that the book is part memoir, but Lisa Leong got in her own way a bit. Name-dropping Ormond College a few times seemed unnecessary. The lead author is still caught up in hustle culture, and that's probably the top reason I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped.

[Ceren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on modern working life. The author goes deep into the meaning of work, careers, options and working life after COVID. Really good advice throughout and helpful, scientific ideas about how to navigate one's career.

It borders on gimmick-y at times, but overall, I found it very useful in understanding my options for work. In particular, I appreciated the discussion of values, how to identify them and how to make them the center of career decision making, the scientific way of thinking about work and the explanation of the impostor syndrome and how to overcome it.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no doubt this is one of the most accessible book about how to navigate through your career during this time of great change. I was taking my time to read this book knowing in the back of my head that I will always reference it in the future. I cannot wait to reread this book with more experience and insight.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book immensely. It covered some familiar turf in terms of career shifts & pivots, but also brought new ideas & approaches. Presented in a really clear & concise way with some useful takeaways.

[April Trabucco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It resonates during a time of transition and the sit spots are lovely. I appreciate how she represents job crafting and promotes a growth mindset.

[Linh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book, but nothing new - essentially an overview of different (fairly popular/mainstream) approaches to intentionally structuring your life.

[Rafael · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd reading

[Ink Drinker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had my "dream job" so it was difficult to understand why I felt like I was living in a nightmare. My work was interesting and rewarding, and I adored my colleagues. But underneath it all, I was drowning in fatigue and stress. I was ashamed that I couldn't "hack it" after years of sacrificing to reach my career goals, especially when everyone around me seemed to dealing with it just fine. This book came to me at a time when I knew that I needed to get out of my job but I didn't know how or where I could go. This Working Life: How to Navigate Your Career in Uncertain Times helped me understand why my family and upbringing shaped me to think and approach work the way I do. It guided me through the highs and lows of my career to realise what it was I actually enjoyed and what I could let go. It gave me the courage to not only leave my dream job, but to pivot into a new industry that I am passionate about.

If you feel like you are treading water at work or grappling with your career, pick up this book.

I no longer have my copy - soon after finishing it, I gave it to a friend who was also struggling because this is the type of book that needs to be out in the world changing working life for the better.

[AttackGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is way too long and could be broken up into at least 3 other books. I recall back during either my MBA or DBA we were required to take a course (BIG BUCKS) on BURNOUT. How absurd I though and yes the book was nothing compared to what Lisa has presented. I am going to write the school and recommend they adopt her book at the teaching outline for the course.

She even has an accompanying PDF…. How exciting. Whether you agree with her information the presentation is very nice. She brings you right into the discussion and provides pretty comic pictures to support your brain imagining.

So what does that mean…. Times are changing!

[Caleb Tseng · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent primer to career/self-development, but likely more helpful for those with more fluid job situations. Lots of great, familiar concepts and thoughtful reflection questions. The "sit spots" and nature integrations may be a bit...mushy and progressive..for some, but I didn't mind them at all.

This book was especially important to me personally because I've been trying to find some career development books written by Asian Americans! Would gladly recommend this book to someone who's new to career dev or thoughtfully reconsidering their working life.

[Arne · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were moments of clarity but the word that comes to mind when I reflect on this book is Fluffy.

Lots of pretty vanilla pep-talk/look after yourself/you're a special snowflake kind of advice. It's a collection put together from many different sources and that makes sense because that was what the whole pod-cast was about. I should probably not be surprised that the content ends up as a fluffy fruit-salad of advice, doesn't mean I need to like it.

[Vivien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh morning people. Extroverted ones at that. We're so different.
Solid stuff, though there were two chapters that I thought were terrible ideas: curating a portfolio career sounds like a nightmare of never dedicating enough time to anything to do it as well as you'd like; and job crafting explains a lot about those annoying and selfish people at work that get out of doing the crap stuff by getting it reallocated to someone else or to their subordinates.

[Stephanie Brell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was hoping for some more revolutionary content! Not to say it was a bad book, but just lightly touched on many familiar and well-trodden perspectives rather than having a clear, innovative direction. The cynic in me couldn’t help but feel, as I was reading, that Lisa Leong just wanted to add “/published author” to her “portfolio career”.

[Leila Mirza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "This Working Life" and have already recommended it to many of my friends. The book is exceptionally well-structured and functions more like a workbook. To get the most out of it, having a notebook on hand and actively engaging with the exercises and prompts provided by the authors is highly beneficial.

[Jared White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is crammed with practical insights, exercises, tools, and frameworks to help you reimagine and reinvigorate the possibilities for your working life. I highly recommend giving this a read whether you are looking at a career change or career acceleration.

[Sabastian Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seemed unfocused. Lacked structure. Useful tidbits but meh overall.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book when you're feeling a little uncertain about your career!

[Delvonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this read!

[Alejandra Gonzzalí · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book came at a perfect time! Loved it gave me peace of mind. I like how she makes the disclaimer of talking from a position of privilege.

[Mehrnaz]

DNF 25%