Discipline in the Sun

February 11th, 2009 Chris Posted in General | No Comments »

Since we’ve arrived down here in South Beach for the rest of winter, I’ve had many a friend ask how we can afford to take this much time off. When I protest that it’s not vacation, I get the inevitable Yeah, right…

Well – it’s not! We’re working!

But it is tough… Something about all the temptations of a temperate climate…

So I’ve developed several rules that keep me focussed and on-task. I’d thought it worthwhile sharing them as I think that they can be of use to anyone working at home.

Oddly enough, they all involve avoiding temptation. As many know, this is particularly important for me as I am, well, easily tempted by all manner of vices.

Anyways, here are my three rules:

1. Regular “office hours”. First, I force myself to be actually at my desk and working by 9am at the latest and go until 5pm. The former is a bit tough for me as I’ve been trying to get some exercise (running on the beach) and the latter is tough on the dog who struggles to wait until them for his daily romp. Regardless, we make it through and forcing yourself to be at your desk helps to avoid temptation to take an early afternoon and head out to the (many) neighbourhood bars. Sure, both Colleen and I normally work at night and on weekends – but core hours during the day really helps productivity.
2. Daytime Prohibition. There are very few things that I enjoy more than sitting back and drinking a beer. I do suffer from two simultaneous foibles that make this extremely dangerous. First, I am less productive after a drink. Second, I typically don’t stop at “a” beer – so the issue gets exasperated (see foible #1). So, during those hours, nary a single beer cap gets popped and I stay focused. There is a related issue with junk food but that has more about me becoming a dough-boy…
3. No TV. What goes better with that elicit beer than last night’s Daily Show. Stop! Do not turn on the TV – even for that brief time while I make lunch. I do listen to CBC Ottawa radio down here but the TV does not get sparked up .

These three rules keep me focused on the task at hand and make sure I stay productive. There are so many distracting vices – especially when you don’t have a little competitive peer pressure to keep you on your toes.

And when you think about it – it’s crazy to not stay on task. If you don’t focus, work hard and continue making money then you could be forced to go back to the corporate world and a regular job.

Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!

C.