Tag: Work

Busiest Day of the Year?

“Tomorrow is always the busiest day of the year”. — Jonathon Lazear

Ain’t it the truth?  At least that’s the way it feels.  Why?

You may feel differently.  But for me, it seems like tomorrow is “the day” that, “I’ll finally be able to catch up with things“.  So I race hard to get so much done.

Time marches on and there is simply more to take the place of that which has been done.  Ever heard the phrase, “busy beaver“?  Beavers work hard every day, repairing their dam, fixing their den, looking for food, etc.  Seems there is always lots of work to do.

What’s the solution?  If I knew that, tomorrow would be looking like a vacation day, eh?

Workaholics Hate Leisure Time

“Because it is less structured than work, leisure time leaves workaholics at a loss for what to do.  Workaholics practically climb the wall when they can’t work”.   — Marilyn Machlowitz

This is “painful” to read.  Why?  Because I felt particularly guilty this weekend.

While I did do a decent job of carving out time with our son, work occupied a better portion of the weekend.  It was predictable.

It isn’t leisure that leaves a loss for what to do.  It’s quite enjoyable, almost nirvana, doing nothing.  But the work starts to pile up.  So much to do.  So little time.

Yes indeed, so little time.  Our nine-year old will be driving before you know it.  And then it will be too late.

The Real Problem With Leisure?

“The real problem of your leisure is how to keep other people from using it”. — Anonymous

Ain’t it the truth? Most of it is our own fault though. It is for me anyway.

Always trying to do better.  Always trying to please others.  Never satisfied with the status quo. Over-achiever. Workaholic. Can’t say no.  The list goes on and on.

Here’s another truth, that no one wants to admit. We control our choices.  Not the outcomes, but our choices.

While the outcomes are in the hands of a power we can’t begin to imagine, our choices are not.  Our choices are ours.

You’d think we would have this figured out by mid life.  Why is this so difficult to remember?

Mid Life Workaholics Unite

“Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings”. — Ed Gardner

Workaholics rarely have courage for self-confrontation.  We’re too busy trying to control things and control life.  If we pause long enough to notice the bleeding, we might have to change who we are.

Panic attack, right?  When will we take time to:

  • Rethink
  • Reprioritize
  • Recommit

Probably never.  Am I wrong?

Or maybe when the phone rings, “Honey, it’s for you, it’s your wake up call”.

Are We Simply Machines?

“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men.  No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man”. — Elbert Hubbard

What does it take to be extraordinary?

Is it reasonable to expect to become extraordinary?

Is it even worth it to try to become extraordinary?

What would extraordinary people say to these questions?

What would Earth be like without extraordinary people?

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