I call them "Zero Days".
They come along every now and then, and usually when there's a deadline approaching, but not quite close enough to switch the brain into hyperdrive. I guess it's my ADD taking over, but on Zero Days, I do absolutely nothing.
I sit at my desk, shuffling columns around in a spreadsheet, changing background colours in an Illustrator label project, or some other pseudo productive activity that actually has no beneficial outcome but makes it look like I'm being awfully busy.
You know what I mean. "Oh yes, that report's due for the meeting tomorrow, maybe I should clean up my inbox." or "The future of the company relies on you getting this software finished... great... I'll write a blog about it."
Not that I have to look busy. It's my company, and I work from home most days anyway, so what I do to fill in my day is up to me. I'm also a borderline workaholic right now, which is what happens when you try and build a new company, so it's not like I don't work hard and could use a day off...
But I hate Zero Days. I get to the end of them and think "I'll just do a few hours of real work now". At midnight. It's not the most intelligent time to decide to "do a few hours work", though it is rather quiet and I can be pretty sure I won't be interrupted by phone calls or emails (unless you count the ten or twenty viagra/cialis spams I get a day).
The worst bit though, is that if I really don't want to do any work at the keyboard, that's ok... there's plenty of other stuff to do, like cleaning the house, doing the washing, emptying the dishwasher, filing, even getting out into the fresh air. Maybe I could make a few calls, or do some reading, or even take my bicycle out for a spin. I could have done any of those things today.
But it was a Zero Day. I did none of them.
7 comments:
Ah yes. The Zero days.
When I have an overwhelming workload or burdensome deadlines, the grit between the benchtop tiles becomes insanely interesting...as does the online Hello Kitty colouring-in competitions.
Altho, a spin-off benefit to being king of your own castle is that you'll never get 'dooced' - unless you fire yourself of course just to see what it's like. I did that once. The I re-employed myself a short time later.
Now you're talking.
I'll fire myself. Yes. That's it. I'll write myself a warning, and if I catch my self goofing off again, I'm out.
Perfect!
I think this doggie should have fired himself:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20009220-2,00.html
My days off are like that. I can't not work when I'm at work, so when I'm just at home it's kind of like I'm my own boss. I could clean my room, write to a host of friends, practice the piano like I intend to, read textbooks to prepare for next semester...the tedium of reviewing what I could do to be productive triggers that sense of actually being productive. Thus I find myself at Wal-Mart and Best Buy.
This is why I should be earning money instead of having a free moment (even just one) to spend it. Because I will.
Ah the days off. This is my 13 day in a row work week. Not only do I have to work my civilian jorb but I also need to work for the Army this weekend.
No Zero day for a while.
Day off?
What's that?
I've heard people talk about these things... some sort of day where you actually PLAN to do no work at all. I understand that there's even this system where everyone has decided to string two of these in a row, all at the same time. They've given it a name... now what was that... ah yes, I think they call it a "weegend".
I might try it one day.
And then maybe I wouldn't have so many Zero Days.
I am living a Zero Life.
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