I like to think I work pretty hard at my profession. Sure I have some off days (the internet is my own version of six degrees of separation. One minute I am pulling out stats for the proliferation of opiate use in Iran and in a few short clicks, somehow I am watching reruns of Jackass clips on Youtube!), but generally I get things done. Some days things just happen. A couple of emails come through saying "Yes!" and it is like turning on the nitrous in one of those boy racer cars. My work output fairly doubles! I am on a high, nothing can stop me. Articles get finished, routes get plotted on a map, my accounting is sort of looked at and so on. All is good!
I have been pretty stoked about getting a good few articles published in some just recently (with a couple more to come, fingers crossed!). I have been fortunate to be able to give some great presentations to a good number of groups in the past couple of months as well. The year ahead is looking crazy busy, with only a few small gaps to fill. The Expedition School, working in Tanzania for a month and a half, more talks, more walks and a book to write. It is going to be difficult to fit much more in. Life is good, very good, but still I am not satisfied. I need to be better.
Apparently patience is a virtue, but I am not convinced. I want more, now! I want to get back my bomb-proof roll. I want to be a better surfer. I want to get back on the rock. I want to improve my navigation. I want to be on the next big expedition. I want (or is that need?) more corporate talks. How in the blazes can I do it all? Work hard? Work harder? Can I have it all, or must I settle for less? Lower my expectations somehow?
Maybe I have been caught up in my own adventurer/motivational speaker schtick, but I cannot do that. I will not accept anything but the achievement of my goals. There might be some tears and tantrums (and posts like this) along the way but I reckon that path is a whole lot more satisfying than the alternative.
Are you satisfied? Have you reached a point where you are done? What are your strategies for striving to move forward and still be happy with what you have already achieved? I would dig to know.
Mark, I share all of your feelings of frustration. Until five or so years ago I had no interest in sport or physical pursuits and spent all my time in the pub or in front of the TV. Then I had an epiphany and turned my life around. Suddenly there is never enough time in the day, days in the week and weeks in the year to do everything I want to. My only regret in life is wasting so much time when I was younger.
Still there is nothing I can do about the past so I make sure that I do as much as I can now and live by the maxim that “…in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years” (Abraham Lincoln) so I’m going to make sure that when I go to meet my maker whoever delivers my eulogy will have a hard time editing it to a manageable length!
Exactly mate! I used to be in the position of thinking, oh what can I do, there is nothing to do. Now, it is a case of how can I do it all!!! I suppose as Abe says, you just have to try and lack as much in as you can Make it all worthwhile.
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buff, I can just about handle your amazing acheivements of late but I struggle accepting that you would have your “accounting sort of looked at” you are and were many things but…..! I remember your acheivements or lack thereof in years 8,9 & 10 Bp with your favorite teacher at the end of B block…. Oh how far you have come my friend……
Seriously good words as always. Be well. Jack
If only I had you and your old man to cook my books as you do with yours I would be sorted. I used to love that teacher!