“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means” ~ from the movie The Princess Bride.
In a recent post on LinkedIn, the author explained that she checks her work email every day while on vacation, and that doing so allows her to relax.
Others chimed in to say they take a similar approach. One person said, “I can’t imagine a total disconnect ever…”
There is an old story about a farmer who was training his horse to eat less food so that he could increase his profits. He gradually reduced the amount of feed that he gave the horse, until it was eating a small fraction of what horses usually eat. He was on the verge of a breakthrough and had visions of patenting his methodology and becoming both famous and fabulously wealthy.
It is 9:45 pm on a Sunday night in the summer, six years into retirement. I have just completed a day of doing exactly what I wanted to do, which was not much. Saturday was much the same.
Some of you will know the origin of the title of this article. The rest of you will have to look it up.
These famous words convey the notion that when you are facing an existential crisis, you must devote yourself completely to the task of surviving. Other priorities become irrelevant.
Bob told me about his law firm exit interview with Joan from H.R. When Bob said that he was leaving due to the unreasonable workload, Joan was curious, because Bob was one of several associates who had left that department for the same reason. What surprised Joan was that in other departments, the associates were working many more hours, but no one was complaining, let alone quitting.
The good folks at Law 360 have produced their annual survey of what lawyers think about their profession.
Here is the part that I don’t get.
60% of Associates (and 44%) of partners say that they either feel stressed most of the time or all of the time.
At the same time, 63% report being satisfied, or very satisfied, with their jobs.
So, let me get this straight. Lawyers are generally happy with their jobs, while being stressed most or all of the time.
I am reminded of the famous quote from The Princess Bride: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Maybe I am an outlier, but I am usually happiest when I am not stressed about things like getting my work done on time, meeting billable hour requirements, or getting sued. But that’s just me.
“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”
~ Mark Twain
I was speaking to a mom of three children the other day. She drives them to their different schools every morning and ferries them to sports activities after school and on the weekends, while trying to advance her career in the remaining time. She was talking about how difficult it was to stay on top of everything and take care of her own health, but she was pleased that she was somehow managing it all. My response? “Sure, right up to the breakdown.”
“So, tell me what you want, what you really, really want “
~ Spice Girls
Have you thought about what type of people law firms really, really, want to hire? I mean, after you drill down past the marketing and human resources departments, and contemplate the type of things that even the Partners are afraid to admit behind closed doors.
I recently attended a party in Toronto for my buddy Billy’s 70th birthday. It was a low-brow event at Dave & Busters, perfectly appropriate for a bunch of guys from what was, when we were young, a low-rent suburb of Montreal. Billy’s children and much beloved young grandchildren were also among the revellers.
I have been over-weight for a good long while. My wife, Maureen, is not shallow. She loves me exactly as I am. But she is smart, beautiful and talented, and her marketability far exceeds mine, so why take chances?
For about 15 years, I stopped eating chocolate, cake, pie, muffins, ice-cream, fudge, etc., etc., but I substituted bread, goat cheese, nut butter, and organic honey, and kept gaining weight.