How is the deal different here?
What does a Lean Living Practitioner do differently? The Practitioner manages the most important project differently. And, what that project is? LIFE itself is that project. The Practitioner usually doesn't try to draw a very clear line of difference between work and life. The Practitioner tries to achieve a great work-life composition while doing good to the society and the environment. How does it work? It takes redesigning the way basic life-operations are performed. It is about smarter and more responsible life-choices. A substantially large portion of our lives is spent at our workplaces. And, that is the place we visit most frequently. Most of us go to work almost everyday. So, travelling to our workplaces is one of the most frequent basic life-operations performed so frequently. Of course, we, as grownups, do not probably visit shopping-malls, entertainment parks, zoos, cinemas, theatres, grocers so frequently. And, if at all we do, we have a choice there to moderate and control the frequency of our visits. Since, the travel to the workplace is related to our bread-and-butter, the commute involved is characterized as ‘mandatory’ and involuntary. So, obviously that (travelling to the workplace) becomes the first choice for a Practitioner to take a look at to redesign the way that operation is performed.
A Lean Living Practitioner usually tries so hard to find a residence (place to live | accommodation) so close to the workplace. So that, just a short walk is all that it takes to arrive at the workplace. Residential accommodations nearer to workplaces are usually expensive. However, the extra cost gets more than compensated by the benefits derived out of this life-model. What if the practitioner has a house of his own and that is far away from the workplace? In most of the cases, Practitioners do not own a home. Rather, they prefer renting a residential home. That provides flexibility to stay always (well, almost always) near the workplace. However, Lean Living practices do NOT really discourage any one explicitly from owning a home. One may own a home and still practice Lean Living in life through smart choices and life-model alterations.
There are cities in India where people spend a few hours in travelling to and from the workplace, on every workday! Spending a few hours on roads almost every day is just ridiculous and inhuman to an extent. Life is short. In that short life, we have really not much time for ourselves, our family, friends and our society. What a real wastage of time (life?) if we spend that on roads while struggling through crazy traffic congestion? Needless to state here, facing such traffic conditions increases stress and general anger levels in human beings. And, that ultimately leaves many of us exhausted and irritated while negatively impacting our relationships and psychological well-being. Is this what human life is worth? Owning a home is definitely worth the benefits it offers. However, the benefits (tangible and intangible | psychological | social) must always be, ideally, greater than the problems (effort | cost | time | attention) that are attached to owning a home. If that is not the case, it is not worth owning a home. Lean Living, however, does not dictate whether one should or should not own a home. It talks favourably about those options that offer flexibility in life, though. NEXT >>
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