Good morning! I hope your day is starting off well.
It occurred to me as I was getting dressed this morning, thinking of the things I need to do today, that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about work and doing the things we need to do and making up for lost ground when we start to fall behind. I guess it’s natural that we would think that way, because it’s pretty much the way we’re programmed from childhood.
But you know what? There has to be some kind of reward for all that hard work. And, no offense to the employers in the group, but I’m not talking about a work reward where you get a pat on the back, a new title, and even more responsibility. Sure, those things are important. But in a 168-hour week, we should only be spending about a fourth of that time at work. The rest of the time we live.
If you were to die today, your employer would be looking for your replacement before your funeral. Now, that sounds grim and maybe even a little cold-hearted, but that’s just the way it is. None of us are indispensable, at work or at home. We all like to think nobody could live without us but drive past any cemetery and you’ll have all the proof you need. Life goes on.
So, if you’re not putting in all this effort to save the world, why are you doing it? I ask people all the time what they want in life, and very few can give any kind of specific response. “Oh, I want to be healthy and have my family close by, to do well in my career, and retire someplace warm.” Yawn. Seriously? You can’t be a little more specific than that?
And the truth is, we spend so many of our waking hours working – either on the job or off – that we forget there’s a whole big world out there just waiting to be enjoyed. So, when we think of the things we’d like to do with that time, it takes conscious effort to bring them to the surface. We have to dig down deep, and even then, it’s not always easy.
Work can be a lot more enjoyable when you know why you’re doing it. A friend once told me that he visited a couple to discuss a business proposal and he’d asked them to tape a picture of their dream to the refrigerator before he got there. When he arrived, the refrigerator was plastered with the monthly bills. That was the extent of their dreams – simply to get through this month and on to the next.
Granted, the bills need to be paid. But beyond that, we all need something that excites us, something we truly enjoy. And I don’t know of anybody who enjoys paying bills. That’s a necessity of life, much like using the restroom.
So, let’s look at this in reverse. Instead of telling me what makes you get up and go to work each day, tell me what makes you want to go home. Not what makes you want to leave work – that could be as simple as escaping a really bad day on the job. But what makes you want to go HOME? What are you going to do there that’s so much more enjoyable than work? Hopefully, a lot.
That may be as simple as going to watch your child’s ball game or sitting on the porch reading a good book. It may be a weekend camping trip or a picnic in the park. It could be dinner with that special somebody, or lunch with friends after church. Or it could be just sitting around the table playing cards and feasting on really unhealthy snacks.
But give yourself time to think a little more, and you’ll come up with a whole list of reasons you’d like to come home. A Caribbean cruise, a European vacation, a new house with room for the kids to run and play, a motorcycle trip across the country, a motorhome trip to the next county, or a trip to watch the next Super Bowl live.
Work without a goal is just work. But when you know your “why” – the thing that excites you enough to make you get up and want to work – the days go by a lot faster. Take time each day to focus on your dreams. And at the end of a long day, relax or do something fun. It’ll rejuvenate your body, mind, and soul. And it’ll give you something to look forward to as you begin the next day.
That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!
© 2019 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved
Dave Glardon 