I'm a bloody genius.
I took Friday 5 December and Monday 8 December off work agggges ago. I had plans to travel to Taranaki but my plans fell through, but I didn't cancel my leave.
And now look! I have a long weekend off work mere weeks away from the Christmas break. And without even realising I really *need* some time off work so close to the Christmas break. And I am looking at my long weekend which starts, well, *now* as golden.
Just call me Albert, because this has been a *genius* move.
It may still be three weeks until Christmas, but it seems the crazy has come early this year - well at least to my nook of the woods - how about yours?
We got the inkling last week when people started popping out of the woodwork suddenly wanting things done in a hurry. Non-urgent things that were seen as urgent and pushed through with urgency, urgently.
So what's that all about? Is it suddenly realising the end (of the working year) is nigh?
Note to anyone who is suffering from a sense of urgency because of the date on the calendar: that's okay. Focus your urgency to laser precision. Work steadily, constantly, resolutely, until you get done what needs to get done.
Just don't panic.
That's not going to help anyone and you're going to look like you're not managing. In fact, the higher up in the organisation you are the *more* incompetent you're going to look if you're flapping and squawking about as the problem persists.
What I'd also like to know is that if you panic at work over a typo or a lost file, what the heck are you going to do when a saber-toothed tiger jumps out of the filing cabinet and wants to eat you?
“Panic is a natural response to a life threatening situation. It’s a primal emotion that has helped us adapt, overcome and survive life threatening situations. It’s only logical that panic would carry on to modern humans because our ancestors used it to survive.
Nowadays, we don’t really face any life threatening situations where panic is warranted. Even during real life threatening situations, panic will most likely make the situation worse.”
Don't waste your fight/flight response on shit that doesn't require it.
This useful Christmas Work Tip (CWT) has been brought to you today by Thursday, the whackiest day that could have been avoided with a cool, calm head.
A couple of months ago I said:
"I have decided not to get a job: not to get a 'proper' job. In saying that, to you, and to myself, I hesitate; stumble; run away; come back; twist my toe in the dirt; blush; worry; doubt; cringe; set off fireworks in my heart; reach for my CV. No, I'm not sure but yes, I am sure." (whole blog post)
See that bit where I say I was cringing and stuff? I would turn every day. One day I'd be "This is going to be fantastic, I can do this!" and the next day I would be like "What am I thinking? I'm crazy! This will never work!" to find the very next day I was all "Yes, this is what I'm meant to be doing! life is wonderful!" then plunging into "You'll never succeed you'll die a homeless!"
So I was okay on the up days, but the down days I had to concentrate on not running screaming to seek.co.nz. Then one day, Linkedin sent me a job suggestion and by goodness, it was a goodun.
I applied. I interviewed. I was physchometric'd. I was referenced. I was offered and I accepted. I have been working since Monday so, sorry about that folks, I am now working for a living instead of being a Bohemian artist .. in the suburbs.
There is now more structure in my day, bus tickets in my pocket, co-workers in my office and a 'normal' work week. This means I have time in the weekend to do art stuff and money in my pocket to do cafe stuff. A much better (read: easier) situation.
And I'm glad I did it!
Now I have a 'real job' I need to get a haircut..