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How do you relax?
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The erudite, incredibly persistent and dedicated, and marvellous, Douglas Fortescue Arbuthnot has put into words something that has been troubling me as well these last few months.
As my consultancy rebuilds after a previous business venture’s failure, all of my efforts and energies (both mental and physical) have been going into my business — writing articles for my main website, blogging, podcasting (not nearly as much as I would like but as much as I can juggle) and now thinking of a total redesign and rebuild. My new family life (Mrs BetterComms and I have only been married two years, and she has three children from her previous marriage) has to fit in with it all. And women say men are no good at juggling…
To be honest, the idea of learning even more skills (from a low base — css design) is daunting. I have contemplated outsourcing the project and approached a designer I am very impressed with and with whom I have worked before, but he is flat out and backed up with projects like planes over O’Hare in winter. As I previously blogged, I’m very much in agreeance with Kathy Sierra’s idea of ‘playing to one’s strengths’ and css is not one of them.
Back to Doug: Doug points out that having a 30-year obsession is a good way of having a hobby — something that allows you to ‘unplug’ from your business and recharge the batteries. Which made me think about, well, ‘me’. I have no hobbies with which to relax and recharge. I have my studies (about to recommence), I have my business, I have my family life (call living with three teenagers ‘relaxing and recharging’?). The one tv show I watch is ‘House‘, the rest of tv land is foreign to me. But as researchers found many years ago (sorry, cannot remember reference), watching tv is not relaxing — the amount of mental processing that goes on is staggering and continues for a long period after the tv set has been switched off, which is why the kids laugh at me when I suggest it is watching too much tv that’s causing them to not be able to get a good night’s sleep.
I know Neville and Shel have both said that podcasting is their hobby. I would love to find a hobby that takes me away from my computer, something to help me unwind. But finding the time to pursue it, without feeling guilty that I’m neglecting my business or neglecting my studies or neglecting my family, that’s trickier. Balance is key, but what a hard taskmaster.
Seeing as how many of the readers of this blog are internal and external consultants, SOHO operators and/or Generation2.0 thinkers, what do you do to unplug and unwind?
Technorati: Doug Johnston
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
No 1 - get away from the computer and have a cup of tea
No 2 - remember to breathe - breathe in the life force. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can unplug with a few deep breaths
No3 - wide open spaces - take a walk on the wide side. A beach, a paddock, Botanic Gardens, a footy oval even. Hold out your arms and stretch.
No 4 - play and sing (for me that’s usually at the piano)
All these things are usually 10 minute escapes, because some unplug is better than no unplug!
I know what you mean Lee. For me, being very time poor, had to be things I could do for me, cost next to nothing, but still be able to involve others (kids/family/friends).
I came up with Geocaching # and Mountain biking. Both cost a little to get started, but now there are no ongoing fees, set times to compete/watch/involve - I can do it any time of day or night. At the moment, I do more riding that anything else, I bought a good head light and now I can go for a ride after the kids are in bed.
First thought, Ben, was to comment “What the… is geocaching???” But following your link — WOW!! There’s even some caches in Mylor, of all places! What sort of GPS tracker do you need? This looks like great fun — and something to help me do something to/with the teenage male in the house (depending on my mood and his behaviour)…
Hey, thanks for commenting, Catriona! Good to see the spread of (possible corporate) blogging interest in Sydney and Australia at large…
I watch new episodes of “House”.
Oh Donna, that’s so *cruel*!!
We just watched the one where the mexican(?) handyman at Cutty’s falls off the roof and loses his hand. And talk about a build up of sexual tension between his ex-wife and him…
I don’t suppose by any stretch of the imagination that Series 2 is out on dvd yet over there is it? I find the weekly wait too excruciating for words!