In one class, when we were discussing coporate culture, I used an article which defined the European attitude to work vs. the American attitude. It differentiated this value in saying that Americans live to work and Europeans work to live. Obviously, one would rather follow the idea that work is a part of life, as opposed to life being a part of work; but, increasingly I find that my emails to friends and family include the statement, "all is well. We are working a lot".
I woke up at 4.30 a.m. on Thursday, to prepare for lessons that day. In that morning haze, we all know so well, I had that sneaking diconcerting feeling that it wasn't morning afterall, it was night. I actually couldn't feel that the night had passed. I felt the same fatigue as the night before, the same lack of motivation and inspiration over the lessons, the only difference was that now there was coffee. Ah, yes, let there be coffee.
We wake up, go to work, return from work, scavenge for food in our ever-empty fridge, prepare for the next day of work, scavenge for moments of insipid entertainment, wash, rinse, repeat...
I'm beginning to wonder if this is healthy? Where is that work-life divide. Is there a way to prioritize a busy day so that the energy flows to more important things? Why does it feel like the only difference between the work week and the weekend is that one has laundry in the background? How do we find success at work, without evacuating the energy from our systems? Or is this just a time in our lives when work is key. Dear mature reader, are you clicking your tongue at me, saying, all this will change upon having a family?
Well, that's my thought for the day. It's Saturday morning. I am going to go teach. No really, I have a lesson in an hour.
Note: A further characteristic of this conundrum is that Braňo and I both like our work. Perhaps that is why we willingly let it encompass more of our lives than we should, or perhaps it is why were both so staggeringly successful. (nudge, nudge, wink, wink.)
I woke up at 4.30 a.m. on Thursday, to prepare for lessons that day. In that morning haze, we all know so well, I had that sneaking diconcerting feeling that it wasn't morning afterall, it was night. I actually couldn't feel that the night had passed. I felt the same fatigue as the night before, the same lack of motivation and inspiration over the lessons, the only difference was that now there was coffee. Ah, yes, let there be coffee.
We wake up, go to work, return from work, scavenge for food in our ever-empty fridge, prepare for the next day of work, scavenge for moments of insipid entertainment, wash, rinse, repeat...
I'm beginning to wonder if this is healthy? Where is that work-life divide. Is there a way to prioritize a busy day so that the energy flows to more important things? Why does it feel like the only difference between the work week and the weekend is that one has laundry in the background? How do we find success at work, without evacuating the energy from our systems? Or is this just a time in our lives when work is key. Dear mature reader, are you clicking your tongue at me, saying, all this will change upon having a family?
Well, that's my thought for the day. It's Saturday morning. I am going to go teach. No really, I have a lesson in an hour.
Note: A further characteristic of this conundrum is that Braňo and I both like our work. Perhaps that is why we willingly let it encompass more of our lives than we should, or perhaps it is why were both so staggeringly successful. (nudge, nudge, wink, wink.)
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