Toil
It's a very small word, just four letters, but the scope of its meaning is incredibly broad and has affected everyone on the planet throughout history to the present day; great things have been achieved through its application and much has been lost due to failing to apply and deliver it.
We do it in our professional and personal lives, to generate income, sustain our lives and build for the future and we do it for the sheer enjoyment of it; we exchange time and effort for the rewards they bring and are repaid commensurate to those efforts.
My job is difficult, complicated, fast-paced and performance oriented. I get paid very well, there's no complaints there at all, however I have to work hard, be time-efficient, organised, knowledgeable, personable and a good communicator, strategized and highly mobile in thought and deed. It's not necessarily physical toil, but the emotional and mental strain can be every bit as difficult as the physical, sometimes more so; probably why mental health issues are on a sharp incline around the planet.
The other day I was in a country area to see a client, a global company that employ my organisations' services, for a meet and greet and discussions around the delivery of services and potential changes to better align with their changing needs. The drive there was pleasant, a few hours of rolling hills, vineyards, blue skies and little traffic. The meeting was friendly but professional, a little complicated considering the changes required, and I needed to be laser-focused. It was draining when added to the last few weeks of hectic schedule and complex dealings.
Snippets
After the ninety-minute-long meeting I departed for the drive back to where I was staying and that's when it hit me...something clicked and said, take a snippet.
The very next town I drove past was small, a shop-lined high street with a cluster of houses on both sides in typical small rural town style; it was a pretty little place and it was clear people took pride in its presentation and, as I found out at the cafe I walked into, care about how they treated those who stopped by. Yes, my snippet of time involved a cafe and cup of coffee, a little moment to relax just a little and to detach from my professional life. It wasn't long, fifteen minutes only, but I didn't look at my phone or open my laptop, I ordered coffee, had a little chat with the girl behind the counter (I love country gals and this was was cute), sipped my coffee, thanked the lass and left to get back into my day. It was glorious.
It's interesting to see how different people approach their lives I think and interesting to look back on how I've approached mine. There were times I'd plough through for days on end, weeks really, without pausing for a breath and now I tend to take small snippets of time here and there which help me hop from rock to rock in the fast-flowing river of my professional life. There's no right or wrong I guess, we all approach it differently, but that little snippet was a moment I needed to reset and it allowed me to set aim myself in the right direction again, to regain that laser focus and move forward towards it.
I wonder how you do it. Are you a snippet-seeker? Feel free to comment if you like.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
Image(s) in this post are my own
My sister calls it a cheeky pint. Just a little, undeclared, unplanned stop for 10 mins.
Just to remind yourself that you're in charge of yourself :)
Haha, yep that's definitely one way to do it....
Just not too many times in a row on the same day I guess.
Snippets sound great right now I feel like a headless chicken. But every now and then I rise before everyone else does and I have that 30 mins of me time. Just having my cuppa coffee and checking out from the chaos.
We have to have this moments. Just for us.
I do the same, although I'm up early to run usually anyway. That time, the calm before the storm, is a valuable moment though and can make all the difference to the day. I think you get it.
Indeed. Rare moments. So have to take full advantage. How often bro you run. I skipped my run this morning to do it. Just slow down...
Most mornings when home and if travelling when I can...it wakes me up and sharpens me up. As a runner yourself I think you know what I mean.
Definitely brings a different kinda energy to the day. Helps me stay positive and focused as well. Heading into a month of fasting for me. So wondering how I'm going to fit in. Have plans. But to execute while you fast is a different story.
Fasting, not lekker.
Well if I'm honest, I fast every day, quite a lot actually...like, between every meal. 🙄
Hahahaha! You welcome to try a day with me. A new challenge. It's weird hey, but I look forward to it every year. It helps me get grounded again, slow down, be humbled and reaccess what's important.
We don't accept it and no matter how we don't, it doesn't change the fact that we need to make out time for these little leisure moments. We work hard all year round, no, toil, and then before we know it, we have spent all our years working and worrying about work, there wouldn't be any moment spent on ourselves and our loved ones. In most cases, work is enslavement no matter how much we earn in salary.
Work often feels like that, we exchange our time (our lives) for the payment we get and often more is given than received.
I know what you mean about work taking a toll on you even if it isn't physical. I know some days when I am trying to figure out a particularly hard issue I am totally drained by the time I get home. I'd like to think I have a pretty healthy mind (probably more so than my body), but even I hit my limit some days. My snippets probably consist of doing things for my wife. Like making that extra stop she wasn't expecting to pick something up or things like that.
It's really interesting what galps a person find that little moment, the snippet of time to reset or engage with life differently and outside of their work. It's good to have many different ways to do so.
Before, in past years, I didn't take any time for myself, no fragments, life was fast-paced and stressful causing me for example insomnia. And stress can and is one of the greatest evils in the world.
Today I try to take those little moments, either alone or in company, walking, fresh air, a coffee with a friend and a walk in nature. I have found that it renews my energy, just as it happened to you.
Thank you Galen.🤗
I knew you'd be a snippeter!
I didn't before but now I see its value. It is necessary and helps life. I already want to go back to the forest!
Those small moments bring great rewards usually but it's not until one does it that one sees and receives the reward.
Exactly, when I tried those fragments I saw the big difference in my life. You always learn something
When I'm doing something, I often like to put in extra effort and create a little extra time for myself, which I can use to disconnect from everything. Extra time, that is what is most expensive and most valuable to us.
So when I manage to secure it for myself, I'm happy to take a snippet for myself...
On Wednesday I wrote the post - I worked non-stop for 4 hours (I didn't take short breaks like my other colleagues), in order to use my time a little later for a short walk in the open air... I would have liked a half-hour walk and looking at blossoming fruit trees much more than two coffees with colleagues, where I would talk about work again... My walk, my snippet 😀
I find I'm more productive with small breaks in between the working hours but it's not always possible.
I like stopping on a country lane and breathing the air and smelling the scents of the countryside. Listen to the birds and also eat in peace by myself even if I am in my car. This moment between two clients gives me energy and makes my day more pleasant to spend.
That sounds like a good way to recharge and ensure you're operating at optimal performance.
I think I am a bit of a snippet-seeker, where if things are getting too hectic or troublesome, the moment I find a good time to breathe, I will take it. Maybe eat some sweets, or drink whisky. Maybe it is escapism, but getting my mind out of the stressful situation for a while, helps me focus when I get back on it.
I thought you might be and how a person does it is unique to them meaning they have their own ways and others may do things differently.
Hi Galen, I really liked the quote. About the question I think that life can be lived as if it were a tourist tour, of those of passing through 10 cities in 7 days, take 14 selfies and post them on the internet for others to see us, or live it as a walk in the countryside, where one stops from time to time to see the scenery, breathe and look around. I try to live this second way. Greetings
I get the impression that you're very in-tune with yourself and needs which I think is a great benefit to a human being.
When it comes to snippets, I make it a point of duty to have one every once in a while. To me, it's a needed distraction to offer some relaxation of not just the body but the mind too.
These days, the mental is more demanding than the physical, hence the need to prioritise mental health.
A small break can make a person far more productive, I think you'll agree.
Of course, I agree. Productivity levels are greatly improved after a break unlike one who strives to perform even when the body and mind are tired.
In my observation,sometimes, working without rest even becomes counterproductive and work done in such circumstances would need to be redone or adjustments made later on.
Even the fastest racing car has to come into the pits for service, ...it makes sense that humans need a little too.
What SNIPPET is?
Not sure about that yet, huh
A small piece of something or a small extract. A snippet of time is a small amount of it.
Ahh, I see