YOLO FEVER

The positive is that people get to live their best life. The negative is that people take decisions that might not be in their best interest in the long run. It is definitely beneficial for the economy in the short run. In fact, some sectors have seen an uptick in revenue on the back of the YOLO effect

- Jyotsna Sharma

Yesterday at dinner, a friend (a director at a Big Four) was talking about taking a sabbatical from work and exploring India. He could feel a burnout approaching way back in 2021 but carried on because of the usual, running his house, and responsibility to the family thought process. The start of 2023 was especially tough on him, he just couldn’t cope, and so he finally decided to take the sabbatical. He leaves next month to travel through India and plans to pick up small environmental projects in the villages he visits. A colleague has recently negotiated a three-day working week for herself. A neighbour who just added a spaniel to his family has requested for work-from-home. Of late one has witnessed many such scenarios where people are reimagining the way they work. This phenomenon is what we call the ‘You Only Live Once’ (YOLO) effect.

If you examine the psychology of the YOLO mindset, experts believe it can be both positive and negative. The positive is that people get to live their best life, and do exactly what they want with their time. The negative on the other hand is that it can make people take decisions that might not be in their best interest in the long run. For example, Sam gives up a hectic high-paying job to spend more time with his wife, kid and dog. In the short run it will be great for his mental health but in the years ahead, when his kid has to go to college, he might not think this was the best decision.

Employee-organisation relationship redefined