YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY

You deserve a break today and every day. I think you should do everything you can to make sure you get it. No excuses, each and every day.

If you’re already doing it because at some point in your life you realized you needed to, or whether this will be something new, I suggest that each of us consciously make ‘a break today’ into a habit. I even suggest that you start today. If not today, resolve today and start tomorrow.

A few years ago when every Advertising Agency was trying to appeal to the Egos of every person they thought they might make money on, the words ‘you deserve’ were bandied around a lot. They may have had a motive attached to their ‘you deserve’ phraseology, but I agree with them, at least, in thinking that everyone should take a break every day.

My working career involved a lot of missed lunches and my day usually ran from 8:30 until 3:30 without stopping. In those days we literally could say we lived on Caffeine and Nicotine. Since you could Smoke at your desk and every office had Coffee machines, you only left your desk briefly, to go to the Washroom.

Yes, things have changed today. Now you don’t Smoke in the Office and the few people who still smoke, have to leave the building to do so. You also pick up Coffee when you buy it from whoever you like best of coffee selling companies and ‘Baristas’. 

The biggest change however, is the 24 hour Trading cycle. Money trades somewhere 24 hours a day and if you are in Financial Services, you may be working both more hours and more days, sometimes including Sunday.

Considering that Marriages and everything else that normally passes for a life got sacrificed before computers were personally hand held and portable; and that even at that time the hours were so long that you only socialized with coworkers. I can’t imagine it is any better today. It may in fact be worse.

So you’ll go to a Gym. Maybe, but I doubt it. When? Who else do you cut out of your life, after a long day working? Meeting friends for lunch, probably doesn’t happen much among people in these industries either. If it’s lunch and you are in a position to take one, it probably then means with clients and not pals. So you see your friends, when?

Even so many years ago, I always suggested that anyone I knew, did themselves a big favour and took the elevator down to the ground. I suggested, that whatever the weather, I suggested to them that they stuck their face and body outside, for at least a minimum of 5 minutes, at some point in the middle of the day. If nothing else, you got out of forced air heating, recycled numerous times and also gave yourself a chance in winter to see a bit of daylight, at least once a day, for a few minutes.

I felt strongly, that anyone I knew should do it. I also felt that you should do it no matter how urgent (you thought) what you were doing was. I reminded people that frankly, the day you leave the company is the day when you (and they) suddenly see that they can do without you, and you without them.

You may feel you are dedicated, devoted, loyal and trustworthy. You may feel that you are working hard. Better you work, and live, smart instead.

Real life is out there, a Real Person is one who has a Life outside of Work. Some have partners and families, some have careers and still have families. Best of all, some have careers, families and a life.

Time flies, regardless of how you live your Life, people leave us, sometimes because of neglect on our part, sometimes because it is their time. Time, that is the biggest wealth, the time to do things, while you can and you are healthy. Time, while you still possibly have lots of it, to share and enjoy with others you love.

Tempus fugit, Time however, really is relative and when it’s gone it doesn’t allow you to get it back. So take a break today, however modest. You and those you Love in your ‘Real Life’ deserve it. Start today by doing it (or resolve to start tomorrow and do it from then on). Make time count for what’s really important…because in this case, you really do DESERVE A BREAK TODAY.

P.S. McDonald’s was right about the break and now with their excellent coffee, visiting them won’t cost you much in time or money.