OK, this is more like day 16-17.
On Tuesday morning, I came to realize that I had no “A” priorities to accomplish (things that must be done today), so I started working on my “B” priorities (things that must be done in the next 2 – 5 days). I got as far as item #1, accomplished it… and then felt like watching the last Blockbuster movie from my one month pass: Smokin’ Aces. This turned out to be a dynamite movie, and a great way to end a month of movie watching. After finishing that movie, I thought I’d do Wii Fit… except that the floor thingy had no batteries, so I went to Blockbuster, returned the video, bought batteries, and proceeded to watch two more movies on Starz (remember – three free months!). In essence, I took the day off. I felt really guilty about this, but it did feel good to do nothing for a day. I’d get back to work on Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, I still had no “A” priorities to accomplish so I started working on my “B” priorities. I got as far as item #1. I had to get up out of the office to retrieve something to complete task #1. While I was up, I decided to start recording movies (I’ve been recording around three movies a day – trying to maximize my free three months of Starz Network – and all while watching Blockbuster movies! I have not been watching the Starz movies; only recording them to this point.). Well, the movie I started to record was one that I had never seen, and wanted to see, so I sat down and began to watch it. Today’s DVD theme was “great books I have read that have been turned into movies – Needful Things by Stephen King, Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, and Rising Sun by Michael Crichton. I highly recommend all three books! The movie versions are a little more hit and miss. Well, I didn’t want to just sit down and watch Needful Things – I had already taken yesterday off! – so I decided to cook dinner while watching the movie.
Tonight’s dinner, an Indian dish called “Palak Paneer,” requires a ton of prep, and is generally cooked well ahead of time. Perfect for cooking right now! Unfortunately, I cooked through most of the movie. I saw the first 20 minutes while chopping things, and the last 40 minutes after I had finished cooking the dish. Maybe someday, I’ll see the middle of the movie!
I was hungry after that – cooking does that – so I started Starship Troopers and began to watch it while eating. I never got up. I wound up taking another day off.
In the evening, I talked to my wife about his; telling her that my laziness was overpowering my internal drive to succeed (normally, I’m very intrinsically motivated). Usually, my drive wins, but it wasn’t winning this week, and I was feeling guilty as a result. She told me not to sweat it; that she had gone through the same thing when she first stopped working. She actually felt that it was good for me to get away from everything until I was more relaxed. She recommended that I take the rest of the week off; maybe more. I love my wife!
In other news, one of my dearest friends has hinted that he’d like to do the same thing I’m attempting: web/computer-based work. He doesn’t know anyone who has attempted this – I don’t personally know anyone who has succeeded in doing it – but I do know two companies that have succeeded over time by building passionate groups of followers (I am a passionate follower of both companies!). I have seen how they have succeeded over time, so I was going to try to emulate that. I also have a book on how to succeed on the internet (though I maintain that most of the folks who write these kinds of books actually succeed by selling books.). This book had a lot of good ideas, so it was totally worth the $1.98 I paid for it. Unfortunately, one thing this book points out is that it helps to have an outgoing personality and an entrepreneurial spirit. I lack these things. To date, I have failed at everything entrepreneurial I have ever attempted largely because I am an introvert. I generally succeed when I’m in the background – making others look good. My friend has the same problem – we’re both engineers! I will either have to “create” a happy, outgoing figurehead (like a mascot), or hire a good-looking, outgoing person to be my front-man/woman. My area of comfort is content and style; not sales and marketing. Hopefully, as I begin this project, I can find subscribers who will be passionate about my content and then I won’t have to worry about a figurehead.
My friend wants me to hurry up and succeed so he can quit his job and emulate what I have done on the road to success.
Day 17 mood: Wanting to relax, but still feeling guilty about trying to relax… and so I’m not so relaxed. I think I would relax more if I didn’t have church-related things to do almost every evening. My days are free, but my nights are full. To truly relax, I need to get away from everything, including my evening commitments. Right now, every day feels like a “sick day” because I relax a little, but I still have obligations.