tl;dr: a convenient way to think about who you are and where you are going.

After some of my recent posts, blog reader Mark suggested that I was probably look for better “self-cohesion.”

He was right about that and so I was particularly glad that he introduced me to the concept of Bentoism.

I remember bento boxes fondly from my days in Japan as these elegant expressions of a balanced meal presented in a balanced way.

Bentoism, the practice, looks to do much of the same.

A four box quadrant asks you to identify how you think about the “Now Me” and the “Future Me” as well as the “Now Us” and the “Future Us.”

Once you’ve discovered what the top priorities are for you in each of the four quadrants, the personal Bento becomes a framework for uncovering the highest priority items on a daily and weekly basis, as well as an aide to long-term decision-making.

I really enjoyed the exercise and have referred to it on a few occasions since completion.

Bento and Beyond

Mark has written about how the concept of Bentoism can be applied beyond personal level and at the organizational level with a smart essay called Yancey Strickler’s Bentoism and the Business Model Canvas.

What was clever about it was how Mark demonstrated how familiar concepts like key metrics and revenue streams can be viewed through this lens.

In talking with a colleague about Bentoism, I was told that Bento is an acronym for “Beyond Near-Term Orientation,” which made a lot of sense.

If you’re feeling a bit distraught or out of sorts, take a look at the Bentoism site (which is an experience in and of itself).

Perhaps it will help you (or your organization) think beyond the near-term so you, too, can have greater self-cohesion.