Is it obvious?
May 2, 2008In the fourth grade musical production at my elementary school, I starred as Peter Pan, singing the song “I Won’t Grow Up.”
I’m pretty sure I have internalized that more than should be reasonable or rational. In some ways, this is good. Grow old, but not up, ya know?
But I think this has also plagued my thinking, in regards to my work ethic. I pretty much always find legitimate reasons to put off my work, whether it’s doing things for or with friends/family, playing guitar, or experiencing life, I almost always sacrifice my work, saying “I’ll have plenty of time for work later, I need to live life now.”
This attitude shows no sign of stopping, and while I’m hanging on by the skin of my teeth now, I don’t foresee things getting any less work-like. In fact, I expect it all to increase. But I can’t seem to shake the attitude. Everything else has become so much more important to me… much more important than music papers and article reviews and busy-work bullshit. But I know that it’s all important… I just don’t consider it to be that important in comparison to the other things in my life.
Growing up sucks… so I won’t do it.
I think about this a lot too… Then I think of House… “People don’t change”.
I tell myself I want to be the guy who gets all his work done and does well, but then I ask myself, do I really want that? If you spend all your time working, you have no time for anything else. I figure it’s just as plausible I will get just as far in life, if not further, by putting off my work. My reasoning is this lame analogy:
Friendships, relationships, working partnerships, whateverships you want are like seeds. If you don’t water, fertilize, and maintain them, they’ll whither and die. Everytime you decide to do work, you’re not maintaining your garden… So if you spend all your time doing work, maybe you’ll have the biggest farm equipment, but when you take a step back, you realize you don’t have the best looking crops.
Obviously, this isn’t meant to say you should stop all work… If you over-water your plants they’ll die too.
Make any sense?
Yes, it makes sense. It sounds like you’re talking about the ability to maintain balance in one’s life - hard to do but invaluable in term’s of life skills.
“Chores first, play second.” As a child it taught me discipline that has served me well my whole life. I always enjoy playing much more when I know there’s no work waiting on the back end. I grew up with the reward being both the feeling of success from a job well done topped off by something fun (which was anything from playing outside to an extra 30 minute t.v. show). The benefit of learning and living this principle has translated well into my professional life as well.
Are there times I disregard C.F.P.S.? Sure! It is all about balance… and sometimes unadulterated fun is what I need to maintain or regain it.
For me I see it as the teeter-totter of life. As long as neither side whacks the ground and spanks my butt, I’m okay!