This is the last of three consecutive non-travel weeks for me. The first was Thanksgiving week. I had a few calls and some remote training with clients the first three days. Thanksgiving day and the Friday were holidays for us and I took them.
The two weeks following Thanksgiving has been my first opportunity to do one of the choice jobs. It’s work at home, on my own time, with little to no client interaction doing a certain type of software build. From what I’ve heard from my colleagues, this is a great two weeks where you get in your 8 hrs per day in 2 to 4 hour shots.
I have a few observations from this experience that I’d like to share with you.
First, and most important: DON’T PROCRASTINATE! I you have 80 hours assigned over two weeks, don’t wait until the very end to cram it all in. It doesn’t work well in high school, college or business. So just don’t do it.*
Second, and a corollary to the first, it’s amazing what is otherwise avoided becomes the most desirable. Laundry, vacuuming, walking the dog all have become critically important these last two weeks.
The third is this: new tasks can be intimidating even though they are harmless. This was my first time doing this build for a client. I desperately want to do a great job. I’ve put enough pressure on myself that I’m nervous to even begin. Putting it off only makes it worse. Once I get going, the creative juices start to flow and things get cooking. But I have to start.
Finally, and the real brunt of this post is that it is very tiring to be at home as opposed to being on the road. I mentioned to my wife several times this week that when I’m on the road I can wake at 4 or 4:30am each day, do my morning routine for an hour, then work until I have to get ready and go to work. I put in a full day. After work, I go for supper then often return to the hotel and work on either my job, or other things like this blog, or both. I usually turn the lights off around 10:30 or 11pm. These past two weeks I can barely get up at 5am. I’m exhausted by 8 and usually in bed between 9 and 9:30. I was confused as to why I’m getting more sleep here at home, yet I’m more tired.
She pointed out today that these last few weeks have had many demands on my mental and physical presence that are outside of the ordinary, and absent when I travel. When I wake up here, I have a little time to myself before the kids get up. After that, they want to be with me and I want to be with them as they eat breakfast and get ready for school.
Each day I walk them to school with the dog in tow. That’s usually the first of 3-4 walks that I take with my dog each day.** When I return I have coffee with my wife, then get ready and either start working at home, or go to the coffee shop or library to work.
Since we just moved recently, there are boxes to move around and unpack. We had some painting that we wanted to do. There are facets of getting accustomed to a new place that occupy the mind. For example, our new to us washing machine and dishwasher didn’t seem to work properly. I took time to find and read the manuals to understand how they’re different from the machines we were used to.
Given that it’s the holiday season, we have decorations to find and put up, getting the Christmas tree, practicing for church and community presentations.
Since I’m not home a lot, and the burden of home and laundromat chores falls to Kara, I try to do as much as I can when I’m home to help. Hence, the comment about laundry, vacuuming, etc. above. I’ve greatly enjoyed working with her to prepare supper in the evenings.
Whew! Now don’t get me wrong. While all of this has been somewhat exhausting, it’s been incredible. I never got this much time with my spouse or children when I worked at my daily local job (read about that here). From a relationship standpoint, it has been wonderfully regenerating.
So, what’s my point then? As the title states, this is a homage. It is a homage to my wife. What has been tiring for me for two weeks is her life all the time. I have a deeper appreciation of her and the work that she does for me, for her, and for our family.
This is a small way that I can say “Thank you”.
When you read this, was there someone in your life that you thought of? Thank them for something that they do for you. Go and tell them that you appreciate them. If you like, write who it is in the comment section. Tell them “Thanks”.
*This lesson isn’t new for me. I’m amazed how many times I have to re-learn it. You’d think…
**We moved from 6 acres in the country where the dog could run wherever she liked and spent almost no time indoors to town where she is either tied up outside or shut inside. I take her for as many walks as I can. She gets at least two with me each day: one in the morning to take the kids to school and one in the evening, just before bed, to check that our car wash bays are closed. We often have 1 or 2 more.