Finding the Balance...

As we creased the calendar to reveal our eleventh month of 2007 -- a sudden panic overwhelmed me: exactly where did the rest of 2007 go? In the middle of one project after another - what happened? I found myself confronted with that blur of a moment where you re-live the last 4 months in a span of 14 seconds. OUCH that hurt...

In the middle of that painful realization, I fell ill to the local bug and have since grounded myself to sleep and recovery. A strange thing happens when one is under the influence of cold medication - as for some, it becomes an almost philosophical experience. So, in the middle of one of my couch-ridden programs, I discovered the inherent necessity of finding and achieving balance in my life. Almost like a flash of light - I realized that not only was I lacking the forceful Monday through Friday weekly structure, my days blend together until I'm utterly and completely overwhelmed.

Usually, however, whenever I've tried to dedicate myself in a more structured endeavor, the ever-changing the project list continues to overflow and disrupt any attempt to maintain the balance. The quest of finding balance dissipates and I'm right back in the 7-day a-week rut once again.

So when I started to feel better yesterday and today, I resisted the temptation to startup any of our projects. I literally forced myself away from my office and onto the couch watching movies, sipping water and sucking on throat lozenges. I could've worked, but: a.) it's technically the weekend, b.) I'm sick, c.) the projects will still be there and d.) I felt very rundown and unfocused.

I initially felt that the unfocused feeling was the result of the head and chest cold, until I realized tonight that I'm actually looking forward to a renewed day of business tomorrow. The forced rest and relaxation path I traveled on this weekend has allowed me to catch my breath and have a way to re-channel and re-focus my efforts in the coming week.

Maybe there's something to be said about having weekends after all. Now that would be completely revolutionary considering the events which have transpired over the course of the past year. Maybe I'm getting a little smarter as time goes on and may this entry serve as a reminder for myself -- the next time I consider working a weekend.

(well, there's always hope!)