Ok, religious holidays aside, who gets to decide these holidays anyway?
Lately I’ve learnt not to send my employees emails on the weekend. Often I’d get excited after a couple of ouzos on a Saturday night and send them an idea for one thing or another about 10pm.
‘What if we replace the photocopier with an espresso machine?’
I don’t do that anymore. I’m a responsible boss.
I’m still having a few ouzos and thinking about work on Saturday night. I still do that. I’m drunk right now. But I’ve found a technical solution. Now I cue the message to send at 9.30 Monday morning.
Problem sorted.
The thing is for me, where I’m at in life right now, the distinction between “work” and “pleasure” is a bit of a grey area.
I love what I do. I love the way it challenges and excites me. When my mind wanders it often wanders into the office and puts in a couple of extra hours.
I love what I do, so my work and my pleasure are almost one and the same. For me, work = pleasure. Not everyone can say that.
(For example, I’ve also learnt that when my wife wants me to pleasure her in the bedroom, it does not mean bringing the architectural plans for a town house development to bed.)
And since my work and pleasure are so closely aligned, I have a funny relationships to holidays.
I’m my own boss and I get to set my own hours. I often give myself the day off as a reward for all the great work I do.
You deserve it champ.
But I get to do that whenever I want.
So after I started working for myself, the only value I saw in holidays like Easter and so on (apart from observing the appropriate rituals), was that it gave me a chance to coordinate a day off with my mates.
Yes. Long weekend. Lets have a few ouzos.
But then after a while, most of my mates either started investing and working for themselves as well, or I just stopped hanging out with people still tied to wage slavery.
So holidays lost their coordinating power.
So now holidays are actually a bit of a pain in the arse. It just means that nobody else is working and I can’t get stuff done.
What to do? Have another ouzo.
And the more time I spend outside the ‘system’ the more strange it is to me. The powers that be have decided that we don’t have to work today because it’s the queen’s birthday, or whatever.
Praise our gracious governor.
But don’t get too used to it. Its back to work on Tuesday. Back in the sugar mine, lackey.
You are not the master of your time.
And back when I used to work for someone else I just accepted it. It was the same for everybody. Everyone lived by the governor’s clock.
But I think there is something very disempowering about letting external forces control your time – when someone else decides whether you work or not, whether you play or not.
Even if it is at a subtle level, you are giving some of your power away.
And that might be ok if you’re giving that power to some kind of service.
I remember when the kids were babies, when they were up, I was up. Kids have no concept of “it’s 5am and daddy just needs 5 more minutes.”
So I didn’t have power over my time. But I was ok with that. I was happy to trade a bit of autonomy there to give that energy to my kids.
At the end of the day, it still felt like my decision.
But when the government says that Friday is a holiday, or its just convention that Monday means work and Sunday means rest, then it stops being your decision.
And that starts to eat into your sense of self. You get used to being dictated to by forces greater than yourself.
That’s a slippery slope.
Before too long you’ll be wearing a symbolic dog-collar (neck-tie I think they call it), and thinking that the opportunity to vote for either party-dum or party-dee is the same as democratic participation.
And you’ll believe them when they tell you that you need to be very lucky to be rich.
And you’ll believe them when they tell you to aim low, invest in blue chip stocks and managed funds, and be content with a modest retirement
And you’ll believe them when they tell you that trickle-down and trickle-on economics is the best system we can come up with.
What are we going to do? We don’t even control our own time.
No thanks. Take you’re holiday and stuff it. Take you’re 9-5, 5 days a week and stuff it.
I take responsibility for my fate and I take responsibility for my time. It’s a small step towards personal empowerment, but every step is important.
So to all my employees reading this, I want you to say, stuff the holidays, I’m going to show up for work Easter Monday, 9a.m. Be empowered.
No of course not. Take it easy guys. Enjoy the break. You deserve it. Best team ever.
And I wish the same for you. I hope that the long weekend is rich and nourishing, and you come bouncing back, refreshed and full of beans.
But I also wish that you get to know what it means to be the master of your own time.
Trust me, once you know, you’ll never go back.
Do you agree ?
What's your view ?
Can you see where I'm coming from?
[email protected] says
Spot on. I’m about to retire from the grind and not even 40 yet. It’s giving me the same view you’ve said here in your articulate, albeit slightly drunken way.
Thanks
Steven Hambly says
Many years ago on Good Friday I was at Albury with some friends and we thought it would be fun to have a party at home. Only one problem, when we drove around town there was not one bottle shop open and most the pubs were closed. No ouzo for us so we were thoroughly pissed off. From that moment on I have retitled it “Bad Friday” since nothing seems to happen much.
Interestingly, I am trying to buy a house today but this public holiday thing means I have to wait until Saturday to speak to the agent.
Martin says
Totally agree with all your ramblings. I’ve had the same attitude and practiced it for many years and have had to deal with those who believe they have the given right to take all their sickies and pub hols at the boss’s expense. ‘Sorry mate can’t do it today, society says I have a day off attiude’. or those who refuse to do any overtime past 2 minutes – damn clock watching unionists !!
Dave says
How about all the bosses get off their high horse and realise that family is more important than the company that gives the boss a BMW. We work our asses off and this Easter is time to reflect, spend time with family and recharge for the year ahead.
Kyren says
I totally agree Jon. Once you get a taste of that time control it is very hard to take it back. I have never really had to work in a job since a certain time in life. I have mostly had my own business’ and was able to do as I pleased. We did no have much money but enough that I could work on ventures of interest.
Somehow though I managed to end up in a gov job recently and while I have achieved my goal. It has become a nightmare and I am ever greatful I have the opportunity to bow out and move onto other more satisfying persuits.
I believe if you can do what you love, the money will come. And if you build the money you can do what you love. Both will provide the amount of time you will need. But you have to go with your instincts. Your gut, your heart. NOT Tradition and heresay.
Martin says
Dave, you read me totally wrong. I was agreeing with Jon’s comments that if/when you need or love to work for an end result wether you’re a boss, own your own business or an employee and the end result means getting the work in now or you loose the contract (or whatever else the outcome) . work like a dog now to get it done and take the time off for personal reasons when you feel like it or when the work load drops off a bit. What I’m against are the users and abusers who can’t give an extra time or a rats just to finish something off now rather than later (too late) to help the business, and ultimately their own employment status. I agree with your comment ‘It is the companies and employees that need each other working together as a team. Without employees, companies and businesses do not exist’ and I’m against those who take sickies when not sick just to use them up or they loose them. I’m not an employer, have worked many years as contractor or as a casual so get paid for the time I invest and don’t when take time off. Sickies, annual leave, pub hols annual leave loading, payroll tax etc. just a burden on employers. Agree some employers would also abuse the system if these rights were not a regulation by Government and unions of the past. I came in to work last week pub hol. not for me but for the company so we get closer to winning the tender, without 120 off us could be out of work. My work colleague is coming in today Good Fri. again for the company as he said Sat he can get to the shops and Fri nothing open, can get stuff done without the distractions. Could go on forever but taking this weekend off to recharge myself. Martin
Dave says
Thanks for clarifying. Have to disagree a bit with the sick days part. Wether you are sick as a dog with gastro for a week or off surfing… you get 8 days like everyone else. after that… that is your problem. So if people are stupid enough to take off sickies and surf… and when they really get sick… don’t get sick pay… then that’s their stupid fault. But it is their right to have it off.. just like anyone else. Getting caught on that day off sickie, while at the beach… well again, your choice and you may be playing with fire and your job…lol
Daniel Trevino says
I suppose life has different stages. In my birth country I used to be the boss, there I was able to call myself an architect and urban planner (I can’t yet in Australia, that’s my disclaimer). In Mexico I was doing developments and other businesses.
I chose to move to Australia with my wife and kids two years ago because regrettably Mexico is going through some tough times now. I was fortunate to be able to bring some money with me, which allowed me to own my time and do what I wanted, but I was aware that it wouldn’t last forever. I needed to do something that would allow me to keep enjoying life with style!
I was very lucky of joining Knowledge Source since early after my arrival. I have now been a student of Dymphna Boholt and George Fokas, as well as meeting Brian Payton, Bob Anderson, Mark Rolton and even Jon Giann (who I had the pleasure of chatting with face to face for about an hour at the iLoveRealEstate Superconference in Melbourne last year).
In order to start investing I found myself needing serviceability, I had some cash equity, I had the knowledge, I just needed bank-accepted cashflow. Now I’m proud to be an employee of an architecture and construction firm, I’m doing project managing and learning heaps. I am now getting the cash flow I need to move forward, and the experience from this job will help me do better deals.
I for one am truly enjoying this Easter break because of what it represents for me. I’m in a stage where being an employee is great! It is allowing me to get to where I want to be!
All the best to everyone who appreciates their job, either as employee or as boss 🙂
Enjoy your drinks Jon… Cheers!
Ilka Oster says
Hi Jon, I think you would be interested to read the seven lesson school teacher by John Taylor Gatto, surely school is the first place we learn this skill of compartmentalising our lives.