Recently, I started thinking that I could “program” the rest of my year as if I was using Google Maps or some similar such application. I had a pretty good idea of where I was starting out, and once it was decided where I was going —or at least where I and my businesses needed to be on certain dates, then all I had to do was plug that information into the system and follow the route.
In the first few days after this thought occurred to me, I found myself waking up in the mornings, energized and relaxed, knowing what it would take, how much gas and how many hours of driving (metaphorically speaking) to get to where I was going. All I had to do to get there and enjoy the fruits of my planning and labor was … just do it. (I know, it sounds like a Nike commercial.)
As usually happens, unexpected time delays arose — traffic jams, accidents and vehicle malfunctions Next thing you know, I found myself feeling way behind schedule, and regardless of the invigorated sense I had upon waking up, I was going to bed feeling anxious and dissatisfied, underperforming in my work.
Next thing you know, I hear myself having the same conversation with different people from different facets of my life. “… This happened, and then this other thing happened, … and, yeah, I would love to, and I plan on it, but right now, I’ve got these deadlines to hit.”
It only took a couple days for me to grow tired of hearing it and saying it, so I changed my tune and changed my descriptions.
I’m still trying, and fully expecting, to get the work done on time to achieve the aims that I have set my sights on and poured my love into. But these past couple of days, I stepped out of and beyond my scheduled responsibilities, and I instead used that time to touch base and catch up with some people who matter to me and who are part of my life through various projects and events — people who, I guessed, might be feeling slighted by my lack of contact, availability and attention.
I met with two people in-person, and spoke to three others on the phone, and thankfully, all of them spontaneously agreed to step away from what they were doing, acknowledging that it was important for us to talk and spend some time together.
Sign up to receive headlines in your inbox!
Breaking News | Local Sports | Daily Headlines | Local Obituaries | Weather | Local Offers
In each case, these spur-of -the- moment conversations were rushed, given the time we allowed ourselves, but there was no mistaking the importance of those meetings, or the significance we both (all) assigned to them.
For me, it was a reminder of something I’ve always pledged to myself — not when it comes to skill-development, but in life: to beware the dangers of routine, the threat of tediousness and predictability; to not allow myself to become lifeless by neglecting to live, to keep my heart open and my senses alive; to not go through the day unfeeling and unconscious, and to not become so preoccupied with the destination that I fail to fully enjoy and participate in the journey.
This is not an admonishment against working hard, staying focused or keeping one’s nose to the grindstone, but rather an endorsement of taking the time to stop and smell the roses.
Maybe the model of “programming the destination” and following the course isn’t quite what I thought it would be, but heck, who wants to be an “app” anyway? A software program operating on an electronic device?
Some people are thrilled by the boundless possibilities that AI offers, by the prospect of bridging and blending the technological (mechanized, digitized, computerized) universe with the realm of heart and soul and blood and bone. I, on the other hand, am intent on maintaining the distinction, maintaining our humanity.
So, I say to myself, go ahead, do what you need to do, get your work done, but make sure you don’t miss out on life in the process.
