Don’t worry, I am not going all Tony Robbins, motivational speaker on you, even though the title of this blog post suggests that. (Actually, I am fascinated with motivational speakers and even co-wrote a screenplay about one from Utah with my firm’s Executive Creative Director Matt Goodson…but that’s a subject for another blog post!)

Recently, I happened on a Wall Street Journal review of a new book that eviscerates the "myth" of modern management theory. The same myth that has been propagated over the years by countless management consultants, authors and MBA schools. The book in question, "The Management Myth" by Matthew Stewart, looks very interesting. Just based on the Journal’s review, I agree with its core thesis, which is that the "secrets of business were to be found in history, literature and the classic ruminations on life and existence, not in the half-baked ramblings of business academics, consultants and ‘gurus.’"

Ultimately, the author Stewart is advocating the application of more humanity and less "bad science" in the way we think about business. Yep, I pretty much agree with all of that. (My management theory and business strategy heroes Peter Drucker and Michael Porter must be rolling in their graves…well, at least Drucker is, Porter is happily still among the living.)

"The Management Myth" author does have a valid point…probably several of them. How many times have you had to listen to some wet behind the ears MBA consultant (probably from McKinsey, Bain or Boston Consulting Group) intone to your company about how you need to "maximize and optimize your core business processes." Drivel, mostly.

The real reason why I am quoting from this article is that it mentions a truly classic discourse that I should have been much better acquainted with because it says some very important things about life and how we should live it. (Actually, I think I read a Cliff Notes version of it years ago while at university). The piece to which I am referring is the famous essay by the Roman philosopher Seneca, "On the Shortness of Life."

It is worth a read. According to the Journal article, the Seneca screed has become quite the inspiration for the hip, technology crowd (I live in Silicon Valley, so I can appreciate that). And, you have certainly heard the basic premise of the famous Seneca essay communicated by numerous pop psychology bloviators, motivational speakers (there they are again!), and the dreaded "life consultants" (I dated one once, don’t even get me  started!).

The essay’s premise is essentially the following: "Life is actually not too short, but we need to make sure to live it to the fullest. Don’t waste so much time on things that don’t really matter (like office politics, petty disagreements with your spouse or friends, or even angling for that promotion you so badly want). Instead, apply your efforts and time on  important stuff such as spending time with family, creating things, writing great thoughts, making a contribution to society, etc."

Here is a direct quote from Seneca’s famous essay that sums it all up: It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow the accomplishment of the very greatest things if the whole of it is well invested."

Good advice to all of us. We all get lost in useless and ultimately fruitless activities and disagreements that seem so important at the time. Who doesn’t complain that there’s never enough time in the day or week, when the reality is that we waste a good portion of our time on stuff that barely matters in the grand scheme of things?

What is that popular saying about spending time with your children? Something like: "At the end of your life you won’t lament missing that business meeting or conference, but you will regret not spending more time with your kids." I suspect Seneca would have approved that simple distillation of his philosophy from "On the Shortness of Life."

The link provided above to Seneca’s essay actually goes to the blog of a hugely successful motivational writer and modern day management guru Timothy Ferriss. He is the author of the best-seller "The 4-hour Work Week." I have not read Ferriss’ book, but know of him by reputation (again, I am no fan of the pop psychology motivational and management gurus). Ferriss does a nice job of highlighting the juicy parts of Seneca’s long essay. It appears as if this young motivational guru has based his whole thesis on Seneca’s ideas (I wonder if Seneca’s heirs can claim some royalties?).

Now that I am no longer 29 (what a great age that was!), Seneca’s philsophy means even more to me. These days I am painfully aware of the fact that I now have fewer hours, weeks and months to waste on meaningless stuff. There are books to read and write, ideas to implement, restaurants and wineries to start (my real dream!), far off lands to explore, friends to meet and perhaps even women (I should say "woman") to wed.

As Seneca says so forcefully, life really is not too short, we’re just wasting too much of it on meaningless matters. Time to get busy on the things that truly make a difference to us and that improve the world and our communities in even a very small way.

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