Don't Whip It Out!
YAY its the weekend! We made it through yet another week. This is an especially special weekend as the last of America's children go back to school next week after the Labor Day holiday. I was hoping to share a tip with you in hopes of making this a better weekend.
If you're anything like me, and hopefully you're not, you have a work cell or smartphone which was faithfully handed to you when you first started working or maybe after that big promotion. It was probably provided to you with some pomp-and-circumstance and someone important telling you what a valued and important member of the team you were that they would need to communicate with you even when you were out of the office. I'll never forget the first time I got an email from my boss at 10 o'clock at night. I responded, and its been downhill ever since. Haha.
What I'm trying to say is your weekend is YOUR weekend. If you're one of the lucky citizens of this great country who doesn't have to work the weekend, then don't spend it endlessly responding to work stuff. What I learned as I slowly became a "crackberry" addict over the years is most of the stuff we respond to on our free time is our fault. Now I'm not suggesting you ignore all forms of communication especially if doing so would cause you to lose your job. Having said that, for the most of us, unplugging a little here and there can be quite a freeing experience. I will admit it can also be quite a scary experience as well. Recently, I was at an amusement park with my family on a weekend when I noticed I had forgotten my blackberry in the car. I think I went from freaking out to an all-out panic attack in half a second flat, until my younger son pulled on my shirt and asked if we could get on a ride together. Then it hit me, "What am I freaking out about? Its my weekend and its my time." The panic disappeared. I mean Geez Louise!!!, its not that important. I felt quite pathetic. But sidebar, the ride was awesome!
Writer Joel Stein of Bloomberg and Businessweek wrote an article about the new "power move"; not owning a cell phone (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38646066/ns/business-bloomberg_businessweek/). He cites billionaires like Warren Buffet and celebrities like BET's Tavis Smiley as people who have consciously chosen not to play the phone/txt rat-race. What these titans and others cited was that not having a phone, or in my "real world" recommendation not using one on your personal time, is if you don't answer a colleague at 10 o'clock for example, guess what? They'll just have to wait till tomorrow. If you don't respond to a comment in a text, well if its that important they can call your house or leave you a message. Either way, all of a sudden, YOU'RE in control. And to be honest, it doesn't take long for people to get it, that you're not the type that responds at midnight so they stop bothering you altogether. Now the guys I mentioned from the article make a whole lotta money and don't have to worry about losing their careers so I'm not going to tell you to just give up your cell altogether. I honestly do believe there is importance in having one available for emergencies and the such.
What I will tell you is freeing yourself from the bonds of a work cellphone on your personal time can have a lasting impact on the relationships and memories that really matter. Someday you will retire, quit, change jobs, or get laid-off. Your company will move on without you just fine. But family, friends, the memories of those you love, those are yours long after the corporate world has left you behind. So do yourself a favor on this holiday weekend which honors the working man and woman, don't WORK on that phone if you don't have to. Sorry, I've gotta stop there, just got a text from my boss.... :). Enjoy your weekend!
jv
If you're anything like me, and hopefully you're not, you have a work cell or smartphone which was faithfully handed to you when you first started working or maybe after that big promotion. It was probably provided to you with some pomp-and-circumstance and someone important telling you what a valued and important member of the team you were that they would need to communicate with you even when you were out of the office. I'll never forget the first time I got an email from my boss at 10 o'clock at night. I responded, and its been downhill ever since. Haha.
What I'm trying to say is your weekend is YOUR weekend. If you're one of the lucky citizens of this great country who doesn't have to work the weekend, then don't spend it endlessly responding to work stuff. What I learned as I slowly became a "crackberry" addict over the years is most of the stuff we respond to on our free time is our fault. Now I'm not suggesting you ignore all forms of communication especially if doing so would cause you to lose your job. Having said that, for the most of us, unplugging a little here and there can be quite a freeing experience. I will admit it can also be quite a scary experience as well. Recently, I was at an amusement park with my family on a weekend when I noticed I had forgotten my blackberry in the car. I think I went from freaking out to an all-out panic attack in half a second flat, until my younger son pulled on my shirt and asked if we could get on a ride together. Then it hit me, "What am I freaking out about? Its my weekend and its my time." The panic disappeared. I mean Geez Louise!!!, its not that important. I felt quite pathetic. But sidebar, the ride was awesome!
Writer Joel Stein of Bloomberg and Businessweek wrote an article about the new "power move"; not owning a cell phone (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38646066/ns/business-bloomberg_businessweek/). He cites billionaires like Warren Buffet and celebrities like BET's Tavis Smiley as people who have consciously chosen not to play the phone/txt rat-race. What these titans and others cited was that not having a phone, or in my "real world" recommendation not using one on your personal time, is if you don't answer a colleague at 10 o'clock for example, guess what? They'll just have to wait till tomorrow. If you don't respond to a comment in a text, well if its that important they can call your house or leave you a message. Either way, all of a sudden, YOU'RE in control. And to be honest, it doesn't take long for people to get it, that you're not the type that responds at midnight so they stop bothering you altogether. Now the guys I mentioned from the article make a whole lotta money and don't have to worry about losing their careers so I'm not going to tell you to just give up your cell altogether. I honestly do believe there is importance in having one available for emergencies and the such.
What I will tell you is freeing yourself from the bonds of a work cellphone on your personal time can have a lasting impact on the relationships and memories that really matter. Someday you will retire, quit, change jobs, or get laid-off. Your company will move on without you just fine. But family, friends, the memories of those you love, those are yours long after the corporate world has left you behind. So do yourself a favor on this holiday weekend which honors the working man and woman, don't WORK on that phone if you don't have to. Sorry, I've gotta stop there, just got a text from my boss.... :). Enjoy your weekend!
jv
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