Friday, January 10, 2014

Workday Milestones

Am I the only person who has created milestones and routines in their work day to facilitate a sense of movement from the beginning of the day to the end of the day?  I am not talking about anything as lofty as the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”.  I don’t have seven good habits and I am not sure I am highly effective.  I’m talking about small stages in the day that help me realize that the hands of the wall clock are moving and time is not frozen in the eternal now.  I like my job and I enjoy my co-workers.  I do not mind coming to work every day.  However, I also do not mind leaving work every day.  I am a creature of habit.  When I arrive at work each morning I immediately launch into my daily routines.  The first milestone is about 9:00 AM when I have a Diet Coke and some peanut butter crackers at my desk.  My second milestone is about 10:00 AM when I walk a few laps around the perimeter of the floor on which I work.  The next milestone is lunch.  It may be a solitary bowl of soup at my desk or lunch with a friend at a nearby restaurant.  The last milestone of the day is in the mid afternoon when I try to once again walk some laps around the office.  Although I am literally going in circles when I walk, it energizes me and I am more motivated when I return to my desk.  Walking also prevents me from feeling too much like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz after he’s been caught in a summer rain and his oil can is out of reach.  None of this is complicated or deep but it does help me to alleviate occasional boredom, fatigue, and general restlessness.  It also helps my occasional ADD.  Sometimes you need to step away in order to re-focus your energy and attention. 
 

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