July72009
Memo to self:
Even though I know you’re going through a rough patch right now, and all you really want to do is curl up in a defeated little ball or, alternately, quit your job and commit full-time to the massive project of Fix It (!), I would like to remind you that the workplace is for working. You have at least one job you enjoy, and an 8-hour mental vacation from the what-ifs and woe-is-mes would not only allow you to get more work done during the day (thereby making you feel like at least one aspect of your life is not in a total rubble), it would also make you feel less anxious, less worn out by the time you actually get the personal time that is meant for addressing, in little bits, those anxieties.
And let’s keep in mind that worrying does not fix. Worrying is just mental running—from one place to another, with no particular goal in mind. What fixes is disciplined, intentional thinking. The opposite of worry. So next time you find yourself sitting in front of your computer screen, panicking that you’ll never find real love, that you’ll never feel settled in a career or social circle or city, remember that this is not getting you anywhere, and say “Sorry, self, I am committed to working today and I am doing everything in my power outside of this cubicle to address the other issues I want to address. But for these 8 hours, I’m going to ignore the nagging thoughts and create. Because I deserve to rest and play and do great work.”
