by Jared Goralnick
It’s almost a new year and it’s time to remember why we work. To find a little balance. To live.
Now that it’s June, we’ll sleep out in the garden
And if it rains, we’ll just sink into the mud
Where it is quiet and much cooler than the house is
And there’s no clocks or phones to wake us up
Because I have learned that nothing is as pressing
As the one who’s pressing would like you to believe.
(Bright Eyes, Nevaeh)
It’s not June. And even though people seem to think St. Michael’s is in the Carribbean, it really is just Maryland. But tomorrow marks my annual escape to the Eastern Shore–warm weather or not–and this time I’ve exchanged my laptop for a girlfriend.
It is kind of insane how much of a role technology has played in 2007, but I have to remember sometimes that it’s just an efficient facilitator for connections, work, and entertainment. I’m so thankful for those connections, for that business, and for the aforementioned girlfriend (more than entertainment ;-).
But once again technology is just a means, and work is just a means; we don’t need to read Tim Ferriss to figure that out. For the time being my end is enjoying company and learning (though relaxing on the Eastern Shore is a pretty nice means toward that).
In the last few months I’ve met some incredible people who are going to change the world–many of them skipped the holidays this year, most of them skip weekends. I’m not one to lecture about working hard, but what surprised me most in talking with some of them was that they didn’t realize that the time away was worth fighting for.
I’m so excited that AwayFind is already helping my clients, that our completely new SET website is almost finished, that revenue increased nearly 40%, that there are now so many more people working at SET…but I don’t want to work twice as hard in 2008. I want to practice what I preach and work smarter…and find time for breaks.
So think about that quote above–nothing is as pressing / as the one who’s pressing would like you to believe. And take in this new year with plans to enjoy it all. Happy 2008 (don’t expect to see me posting before the 31st).
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Such an important point, Jared. Even though holidays sometimes seem to make things more pressing, we need to be reminded to relax and celebrate what’s important. I’ll never forget the Valentine’s Day party that my third graders had just a couple weeks before high stakes standardized testing. I didn’t want to “waste” the time, but the principal had made an announcement over the intercom that parties were allowed. Despite my doubts, I was completely floored by the level of kindness and generosity that the kids showed each other during that 45 minutes of Valentine’s fun. They came back the next day willing to help each other and focused on their test prep. We often forget how important balance (and appreciation of what is really important) is to our ultimate productivity and achievement. Thanks.
Thanks for the thought, Elizabeth. The trip was an excellent escape; I’m feeling refreshed and I think I will be much better off both during and after work as a result.