The Big Five for Life
by John Strelecky
A business story about five things you want your life to be about, and work that fits them.
In one breath
The Big Five for Life is a novel by John Strelecky about a business leader who builds his company around one idea: people do their best work when their job fits their purpose and the five things they most want to do, see or experience in life, their Big Five.
What it's about
The story follows a young man who learns from a remarkable business leader. Step by step he sees how the company works: people know their own purpose, they know their Big Five, and the work is arranged so that it moves them closer to both.
One of the book's best-known ideas is Museum Day: imagine a museum of your life, filled with how you actually spent your days. Would you be proud walking through it?
It is a story, not a management book, but plenty of leaders have used it to think about their teams.
Three ideas that stay
Your Big Five
Five things you want to do, see or experience in life. Naming them makes daily choices easier.
Museum Day
Your life as an exhibition of how you spent your time. A gentle way to check your days against your values.
Work that fits
A job goes better when it overlaps with why you're here, not when it competes with it.
Why it inspired your friend
This book gave ifeelfive its name. My own Big Five spell a word: Inspire, Family and friends, Explore, Enjoy every day, Longevity. I-F-E-E-L. A day that touches all five is a good day.
Museum Day changed how I look at an ordinary Wednesday. Not every day has to be special. But it helps to ask once in a while which rooms in your museum are filling up.
What would your five be? Why not write down the first one tonight?
Your friend. Who is your friend?
Try this, if you like
Write down one thing you want your life to be about. Just one is enough to start.
Who might like it
For you if you lead people, or want your work to feel like part of your life rather than a break from it.
If you want a practical business manual, this is a parable.
Go deeper
Why your friend listens to John Strelecky →The idea in short: The Big Five for Life →More on Work →
ifeelfive has no connection to the author or publisher. This is a short summary in our own words, not their official material, and nobody paid for this page. No shop or affiliate links.
