Postcards from the Funny Farm

It’s probably overly judgmental of me to note but: don’t you think there are too many frantic, fake people in the workplace?  I run across people every day it seems who have a face for you and probably go home revealing another.  Why can’t people be themselves?  In my career I have learned that being frantic and putting a happy face only gets you so far.  Why not try being quieter and more of a listener?  If you blog for a side or full career as I do, an example might be reading blogs of friends you have been neglecting.  Your “grandiose” product will wait. ;)  Success at work can come through humility.

Eventually, people don’t want to be around you for your frantic profile.  You might think you are doing the right things working late hours to get ahead but in reality you are only distancing yourself from the real leaders who are not putting on a face.  They don’t respect workaholics.  Here’s a crazy idea from the Funny Farm: use your sick days!

I actually have made real advances in my career by simply doing nothing extra. Now, wait just a minute … that sounds really bad.  You must always do things at work and strive to do them well.  At the same time, you should go home when it’s time to call it a day .  The real rewards in life come to those who make their sense of calm and mental well-being a #1 priority.  You don’t want people noticing you because you are manic.  You want them to observe you over time being calm, cool and collected at work. Eventually they will call on you to solve the problems of work.  Of course, we all know that pays better!  My dad told me when I was about 18:

Work a lot for a little pay when you are young and you will work less for a lot of pay when you get older.

I have found this to be true.  I might also alter it this way:

Do your work well and more will seek you!

Instead of finding a way to impress the boss, find a way to keep your head calm, cool, and collected at work.  (Test it with a blood pressure monitor, it’s that important) Create a mantra to remember throught the day and help you focus.  She/he will notice.

I just read that 460 million vacation days went unused last year by American workers … no wonder we have so many mental problems in our country! To all those people so worried about missing work I say this: “Be responsible, go on vacation!” This post was inspired by a discussion at Loose Suits.

Of course people with jobs that don’t offer sick days, like freelance writers and the like, might not click on this article. Theirs is a different dilemma that I could discuss at length as well. Having said that, we are all faces with the importance of taking vacations. So if we know how important they are, why aren’t we taking them? In my opinion, folks with vacation days would be “sick” not to use them!

Any problems we have at work and at home will get worse if we don’t use our vacation days.

I look at vacation days as a time to regroup. It’s a time to get romantic with your spouse. Vacations are a time to find inspiration in even those “nothing” moments. How many times have I taken a simple walk in a new place and had tomes of inspiration flood into my mind. It can heal what you thought was impossible stress. I have written my best songs while taking vacation time.  It can be really tough to find the flights you desire, that’s why it is helpful to plan way ahead.  If it is a priority and you are willing to wait you will fare better!

Looking for timely new york flights is even harder than looking for cheap flights to germany. However the flights to thailand can be bought at the last minute too. This is true for a number of other flights as well.

I’ve been highly stressed out at work before. (hasn’t everybody?) It can feel like radioactive heat burning you up … it deserves you a day off. After a “mental health day” the heat goes away. I get fresh new ideas that ironically make me more valuable to my employer. What? More valuable by taking time off? Yes. It’s a time to sharpen my axe.

I think the paranoia many have of getting in trouble at work for taking sick days is unwise. People need to get over it and just take those vacation days like clockwork. It just might be the difference between a promotion or being written up for lack of productivity. The article I read on this was truly staggering. The best argument for this is simple: Look at pictures of your loved ones over the past few years. When you do so you will see just how fast this thing called a lifespan is passing by. Is work that important to Americans? Do people think a real man doesn’t call off work ever? Do that many Americans really think they are heroes for not taking a vacation? Getting any getaway locations in mind yet? I am. Here’s a place to buy your travel supplies. Enjoy.