Making the Most of the 5 to 8

One would think that someone who has been living in a constant state of flux for the past several years (changing careers, changing countries, never living in the same apartment for more than a year, etc.) would eventually get used to shifting gears, could adapt to the varied routines and transitions, might even enjoy the changes in scenery and perspective. I guess I’m getting there... I do really like the variations that bouncing around affords me and I even like the transitions pretty well, but I just can’t get a handle on the pre-transition stages. If “On your mark” and “Get set” were followed by five to ten minutes of silent waiting before “GO!” we might read a lot more stories about high levels of hypertension in sprinters (and fans).

I’m not saying it’s time to plant myself. The ebb and flow for me is preferable to backwater any day. I need the change, but I would prefer the change without having to wait around for the all clear.

I only bring this up because while 90% of my career, education, and life-in-general prospects have been firmed up for the near future, I can’t really do anything on a lot of other fronts until the last 10% of those prospects are more concrete. I’ll have a full update as soon as I have everything solidified enough to share. Just getting a little restless again, that’s all.

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The daily grind has been taking its toll on me. Actually it’s not so much trudging though the 8-5 that I find taxing, but rather trying to balance sleep and the huge mix of things I really want to do between 5 and 8.

I’ve also been feeling a little lost lately, especially regarding careers and what might be considered contributions to the greater good. I’m ultimately very happy with where I’ve ended up and how I’ve been spending my time, but it’s hard to feel like I’m pulling my weight when I look at friends who are doing humanitarian work in Sudan, taking the bar exam, embarking on an album release tour, and so on and so on. There are really too many friends for me to list whose education, careers, goodwill, and determination I’m in awe of. Keep up the great work, guys.

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I’ve had the book Principle-Centered Leadership in my reading queue for quite some time now. It came highly recommended by my uncle – I figure Army Generals probably know a thing or two about leadership – and I’ve wanted to dive in for a while. Well I finally got around to picking it up, reading the first five pages, retaining 0% of what I had just read, and putting it right back down again. With everything that’s going on in real life, I just don’t have the stomach or the mind for a book on leadership. My on-train and pre-sleep reading blocks are currently reserved for escaping reality – not for self-improvement – so I went out today and bought another Murakami book: Kafka on the Shore. I can’t wait! Soon I’ll have the right mindset for becoming a principle-centered leader and I’ll give non-fiction another try.

Sorry for the ramble. I’m trying to get my head around a lot of stuff.