"We're starting a new week...so help us God."
The quote above is from a friend's update in Facebook. I'm a bit perplexed by the tone of this message. The author obviously wants to pass it off as some sort of joke, but one can sense the feeling of dread and fear of someone who's ill-prepared to face the new week or whose week will be exactly the same as last week or the one before that. In a fast-moving world, we need solid anchors or we get adrift, at the mercy of the waves and eddies created by others.
Who do you work for?
Modern business and the constant demand for social interaction in a wired world tend to make us forget who our real employers are. Some people work for themselves, and that's fine. Others, like myself, are motivated by their families - spouses and children. It may be counter-intuitive in the face of the current crisis, but if you do work for yourself, don't wait until you're sixty before enjoying and pampering yourself, you deserve it.
Details of a montage my daughter Aya and I created for a school projectIf you work for loved ones, don't wait to land the big one before spending some great time with the kids. If you don't give them time and make them an integral part of your schedule, no one else will, and soon you'll have strangers growing under your roof that you're gonna take to the park or the movies...someday. Trust me, I'm a dad, I learned this the hard way.
On self-discipline
Self-discipline is a bit tricky working from home; perhaps even more difficult than having a 9-5 job working for someone else, because that someone else will be there to give you a hard time if you don't do things the corporate way.
When you're your own boss, there's obviously no one else to enforce discipline. It's all up to you. It doesn't mean, though, that you have to be extra-hard on yourself and work crazy hours (like I did when I first started the business). Strike a balance between work, family, and time for yourself. Too much of one thing is always a bad thing.
When you're your own boss, there's obviously no one else to enforce discipline. It's all up to you. It doesn't mean, though, that you have to be extra-hard on yourself and work crazy hours (like I did when I first started the business). Strike a balance between work, family, and time for yourself. Too much of one thing is always a bad thing.
Control your thoughts. Self-discipline comes from within. Have a conscious awareness of the thoughts that go through your brain. Positive, disciplined thoughts create a positive and disciplined reality. Avoid brain-numbing habits (TV, the news, online games) that kill creativity or put your brain in one track for long periods. I try to, but it's a an uphill battle, for the moment - Huffington Post and Ikariam are eternal distractions in my fight for mental discipline.
Just some random thoughts for the new week. Let's all have a productive and great week ahead.
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