Work till we drop

Work till we drop.

We could do that, in fact, many will do that all their lives and retire exhausted.

Working hard has this almost macho attachment to it, like you’re a real woman or man if you work hard, your tough, what a hero, working all hours, constantly busy…you get the picture.

Perhaps, instead of working until we drop, let’s drop work.

Madness, perhaps.

But what is work for? Do we ever question that?

Why do you work?

Is there a way of rethinking the whole programme?

Perhaps a reboot. A new operating system.

Maybe life could be the priority and we work as little as needed to have enough to do things that matter, not work to consume stuff that does not matter.

I think that if we paused for a few moments and looked deeply at what we do on a daily basis, in exchange for money, we might consider is this enriching my life? Is what I use my income for enriching my life? Could I rearrange my priorities in life and work less or differently?

After all, I can’t believe there will be a single one of us who will get to the end of our lives and wish we had worked harder and longer.

School and work, two institutions of the modern world that no one ever really questions what they are for.

Just maybe we could and just maybe we would want to do something different.

Interruptions

Philip Dodson Blog

Interruptions. Arghhhhh.

Social media notifications, text messages, email, phone calls, Slack notifications, and the list goes on.

What would happen if you switched it all off?

Actually not very much, well not very much that would be bad.

I now work in 90 minute blocks (thank you Bernie Mitchell for the inspiration, last year!!) and it has taken a while to master. I have 4 x 90 minute slots a day, where I close all windows, except the one I am working in. Then I take a 20 minute break in between slots.

I put the phone to do not disturb, so no notifications come up and of course if it is urgent from a selected caller, it will come up if there is repeated calls.

What has happened by turning off the interruptions? I have got more done, and by focusing on less things.

Have I become an outcast or excommunicated? No, in fact I am more connected with the right people. As a by product of being more productive, I have been able to spend more quality time on connecting with others.