Back in grad school, my friend and periodic reader Gary and I created what we called "The Intensity Sign." It was, simply, the word "INTENSITY" hastily scribbled in pencil on a sheet of yellow lined paper as a reminder to be... well... intense. Focused. Driven. You post it over your desk and it reminds you that the time has come to get the damn job done and move on.
You might guess that I'm in need of such a sign right now, plunking away these workday hours on a blog, and you'd be right. But these days I'm in need of deeper motivation than a reminder to be motivated, so to speak. I'll note a few... perhaps you, the reader, can share a few of your own.
"My family" -- yes, yes, of course. I'm working really hard because my family needs me to. OK, now that this is out of the way...
"Stickin' it to The Man" -- I have this theory that I could, if I wanted, get done most of what I have to do in any given week in about two days. This would leave me three days a week to obsessively pursue useless activities -- expounding on the media and politics, writing and reading comic books, surfing the Internet for online comic books, drinking coffee, sketching comic books -- while being paid a healthy salary. Downside: Amusing in the short term, mind numbing and self destructive in the long term.
"Becoming The Man" -- if I work really hard, I could get promoted, gain more responsibility, make more money, and buy a cute little cabin up in the woods by a lake and hide there during my infrequent vacations. I could be The Man, the guy in the office that people humor because they have to, follow because they must and fear because, well, because I'm The Man. Downside: Hating myself.
"Completion of Current Self-Loathing Cycle" -- (or, Avert My Chronic Impending Disaster). Even though my blog gets updated much more often, I don't like myself when I act like this. Usually it happens after I finish some big projects and I'm not sure what to do next. I should go on vacation. Fly a kite. Stick my feet in a river. Catch a fish. And then come back.
With Intensity!
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2 comments:
Dude, you need another big project. Same thing happens to runners when they work up to a big race and then finish it -- all the hard work paid off, and...now what? Same lethargy and general downness you're enjoying.
So find the next project! If it's not on your desk, steal it from a co-worker. If it's not at the office, find it somewhere else. I'm hanging around, waiting for a real opportunity to contribute something of significance at work, and have meanwhile been intensely focused on tearing up my backyard and turning it into a garden. Amazingly fulfilling, and I'm not at all worried about where my next "real work" opportunity is going to come from.
BP
Fine advice, BP ("British Petroleum?")...
The challenge, of course, is starting to look.
But vacation is nice, too!
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