Many people think it's exotic that I took the month of January off, and spent it in London and Paris. A few years ago, I spent the summer at a couple of meditation retreats in rustic parts of California and Quebec. I like to travel, but more so, I prefer the engagement of the present, and crucially, uninterrupted time to think, which eludes me in a place like New York, where my days are driven by continual demands for my time and expertise. Also known as: my job. No complaints there, that's capitalism, and, anyway, I've done plenty of conference calls by the pool in Palm Springs. I always tell myself that if I lived in a beautiful place, I wouldn't work so much, but when I had the opportunity to trade up last time my lease came up for renewal, I chose not to, with the rationale that then I would have to work too much to maintain it.
I can also see how unsustainable it all feels philosophically in relation to how I view my life and what I'd like to do in the next few years versus, say, five years ago. There's no part-time, there's no cutting back. In my experience, you're either in, or you're out.
Lately I've been fascinated by articles such as "Recovering From Information Overload" in McKinsey Quarterly, and the School of Life "On Leisure," –– the latter posits, quite correctly and radically, for American readers, at least, that "our waking lives are not, and cannot be, a gapless involvement in projects." I bought Monocle for a cover story on trends for and against 24-7 business.
For my clients, this exploration is meaningful because it guides the strategy for how to build a brand that feels relevant, urgent and meaningful on a personal level. We can only take in so much information. How do we decide, at a glance or less, what's worth a closer look, and what's fine to discard? Filters are useful, but they may not be the most democratic lens on a subject. And, then, of course, there's taste. For me, it's about how to thrive, and more and more, how to use technology as an elegant method of problem-solving. I aim to create states of efficiency that allow us to do more with less. Personally, having a BlackBerry means I don't have to have an office, or sit at a desk, but now clients and contacts expect me to be permanently within reach. Is it possible to adjust expectations as forward-looking rather than as a failing?
So far, all my business this year has been repeat business from current and past clients, which is a marvelous thing. Still, as a person who likes to think about how the pieces fit together –– and how they might be arranged differently to produce still greater wonders –– I am curious to see if this year will take after last year, maximal productivity at personal expense. I've made a conscious decision to chart a new course. I'll let you know where it leads.