MEMORY -
Like most dedicated employees, Peter had his days of "burn out". The mornings he had to be up at 4:30 am to prepare for his day seemed to be the hardest on him. On some days, his physical demands were higher than others. Those were the evenings he would come home, exhausted from head to toe. His words were short and patience wore thin. He'd grab a quick dinner, go to his room and watch the evening news till he fell asleep.
Why do we allow ourselves to remain "on the clock" when we are clearly off?
APPLICATION -
This is the first time in 26 days, I am unable to bring myself to a focused enough place in my head and heart to write freely about my day. I feel so ....... empty. I realize that for the first time in almost a month, I lived like I did 27 days ago. Driven by tasks and blinded by completion, still allowing myself to think about my job, even after it was completed. Having a night very similar to the ones that Pete had every now and again.
Today, I was obsessed with choreographing a routine for my student. I started the session with enthusiasm and spunk. Everything was rolling smoothly until the third hour. I began losing creative momentum and it was thinning my patience. I knew my brain was fried when my counts were changing from 1,2,3,4 ...... 5,6,7,8 into .............
"Cow, Chicken, Goose, Duck .... I don't really give a $@&!" As I recited each farm animal, I stomped my feet and flailed my hands. The words came out so quick, I didn't even realized what I had said!!!
My mother looked up in surprise and began to laugh. While my student and mom were busy laughing up a storm, I was forming a storm of my own. A complete brainstorm, thundered in thought, wondering "Why couldn't my choreography come out as smoothly as that did?" I knew then, my time was up. I kicked myself off the clock, put my things away and drove home. Bummed I didn't reach my goal of completion, I left knowing I gave everyone a good laugh. Why did I allowed my brain to remain ON THE CLOCK after I got home?
The rest of my day was spent thinking about that choreography. It wasn't till about an hour ago I sat down to my computer, took a deep breath and realized my Saturday went by in a flash. I am empty and have nothing to write about. That feeling is what got me thinking. Everyone has these types of days. I have them, you have them and Pete had them. After I am done with this blog, I will do as Pete did. Enjoy what I have left of my day, then head to bed in peace.
REFLECTION -
If you ever notice yourself reciting a cranky rhyme involving farm animals and bad language .... it's time to take a breather. Take a break and recharge as soon as you can. This way, you are able to salvage the calm parts of your day then go to bed. When Pete went to bed after dinner, it wasn't because he was still "on the clock" he just wanted to salvage what he had left of his day ...... to find the peace and enjoy the quiet, all completely done OFF THE CLOCK.
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