Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that.
– American comedian, actor and author, George Carlin was born on this day in 1937. (died 2008)
Nobody seems to have enough time to do anything these days. We’re all too busy. Too many meetings. Too many projects. Too many ________ fill in the blank.
There are many days that I think I could get a lot more done if not for the day job. I suppose that’s true.
Still, that paycheck is mighty useful.
I know there are entrepreneurs and other self-employed folks that make it just fine and even do quite well. I’ve yet to hit that mark.
But the thing is, my dreams of theatre and writing are happening. Just perhaps not as quickly as I’d like.
I still have to go to the day job to pay the mortgage, pay the bills. Those things keep coming due even when I get rejection notices or “thank you, you’re not the type we’re looking for, notices.”
And, while I may tend to whine at times about the day job, it’s a good job and I’m fairly compensated. I shouldn’t complain.
Darn it.
I’m pursuing the dreams in my “free” time. Like I said yesterday, I’m busy with the things I want to be doing.
A lot of times people will say to me, “I don’t know how you do all that you do.”
I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m not really any more efficient than anyone else. I just market my “efficiency” better.
It’s true, I use social media to keep up with things. I use my Google calendar, and I’m always connected via the phone or some other electronic device. For some people those are distractions. To me they keep the communication (obviously) and the ideas flowing.
I suppose I could more efficiently manage email and other social media. But, they work for me.
What I don’t to, that seemingly everyone else does, is watch a lot of television. Don’t get me wrong, I binge watch TV. And there are a handful of shows that are must sees as soon as they come out – Mad Men, Downton Abbey, House of Cards, Game of Thrones, Suits, and TURN – right now that’s pretty much it. And I manage that because their seasons don’t overlap. No, please don’t make watching suggestions.
Truth is, I work more effectively with my Pandora stations playing in the background than I do when the television is playing.
The point is that none of us are really too busy. Over committed? Possibly. That’s when you have to say no.
But most of us feel too busy because we haven’t said no, or we’ve taken on more projects, or made more commitments than is humanly possible…or sane.
I’m preaching to the choir here. And, for the record, choir is something else that takes up time, but something I choose to do.
We all have the same 24 hours a day. What we choose to do with that is up to us.
I choose to spend a lot of my time doing theatre, actually more of it is promoting theatre. I also write and paint. And somewhere in there I take care of the yard.
I’m working on the yard. Don’t judge.
Buy, speaking of time, I have things to do.
As Dr. Seuss asked, “How did it get so late so soon?”
Remember, it’s priorities…
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Amen.