On A Positive Note: A Grand Perspective

AUTHOR: Chris Gorman – JETRO Accountant

This idea came without much personal forethought…

During our JETRO annual retreat (held virtually this year) we toss around ideas to help inspire our clients or help inspire us!  My idea was to provide a blog or writings that would help with motivation or productivity or positivity or a combination of all three.  Due to the current climate all three attributes are in high demand but low supply.  Honestly when I brought up the idea I wasn’t quite prepared to be the one to launch it….

It has taken several weeks to get up the courage to put pen to paper.  Why?  Well I felt like a charlatan.  I didn’t have true positivity, or motivation and as a result wasn’t very productive, so who am I to post something pertaining to attributes I felt I sorely lacked? Well as they say, whoever “they” are, the 1^st step is the hardest, so here goes.

“We all have growing to-do lists as a result of work and home life.”

How many of you feel overwhelmed?  We all have growing to-do lists as a result of work and home life.  If you are like me the “to-do” list is always longer than the “done” list.

Often times this consumes my thoughts, “what should I do next”, “how much time should I set aside for this or that task”, ”should I redo my list, my calendar”, “how will I ever get all this done and get enough sleep / time with my husband and son / time for myself”?  At times I admittingly get stuck in the thought process and ruminate on what I need to get done rather then actually putting in the time to get the work done.  It is exhausting and I am left mentally tired, with a to-do list without much crossed off, and a feeling of personal defeat. 

At JETRO we are a connected team and every Friday someone will ask “What fun things are you doing this weekend?”  I normally cringe when this is mentioned.  “Fun” things – who has time for that?  My fun will be catching up on the work I didn’t do because I was mentally stuck.  My fun will be the house work or house projects that are leftover from the prior 3 weeks / weekends..  My next thought…”ugh what is wrong with me”?

“I vowed I wouldn’t bring my computer and I would spend the time with family and the Grand Canyon..”

This year, in the midst of the craziness, we decided to take a family vacation to Flagstaff AZ.  In true form, I had my to do list of all the items I wanted to get done before vacation to have peace of mind on vacation.  I vowed I wouldn’t bring my computer and I would spend the time with family and the Grand Canyon and whatever experiences Flagstaff had to offer.

Well I fell short and my laptop came along with me…..I had just a “few” more things I had to do before I could relax…..  Afraid to admit this, but my laptop is kind of like a security blanket.  I did do a little work on the plane and the first night in Arizona, but unlike other vacations, the computer became a desk decoration. 

“…but unlike other vacations, the computer became a desk decoration.”

I put away all my to-do list thoughts, after all, what wasn’t done wasn’t earth shattering, and guess what, it would still be there to tackle after I got back.  The time that I would normally spend stuck was spent with a cup of coffee sitting on a balcony viewing the mountains in the distance, taking a walk on a trail, or…wait for it…..taking a nap!  For the first couple days I felt incredibly guilty but for the remainder I felt at peace and with each passing day I was recharging. 

“Who knew that by taking a break I was actually accomplishing something?”

Who knew that by taking a break I was actually accomplishing something?  My vacation resulted in a decluttering of my mental space and the result I came back ready to tackle things and I have been productive!

I resolved not to work on the weekends unless absolutely necessary, so today when asked what fun things are planned for the weekend, I may not have a plan but I have an intention to do something fun without guilt.

My productivity level was enhanced by letting go and taking a vacation.  Now I know that this is not feasible for all but I challenge you to take a break and do something different of something you have wanted to do for some time but felt that you couldn’t because of other more pressing obligations.  Clear your mental space and the productivity will flow. 

“My productivity level was enhanced by letting go and taking a vacation … Clear your mental space and the productivity will flow.”