24/7
In North America, 24/7 schedules make it hard for us to keep up with ourselves. Every day of the week is the same and work hours seem to have no beginning or end. We have to be "on" all the time—with a Blackberry or cell, even while walking the dog or at the grocery store. We think we’re saving ourselves time—trying to create more space for leisure—but are we really? There’s always something else to do and another qualification to have. It’s not just knowing how to do what we do, it’s knowing how to present and sell it. And for that, you probably need writing or computer skills (that might have nothing to do with the job in hand) as well as a factory connection in China. Slowing down and switching off aren’t usually an option if you want to get ahead. No time for bed! Then there’s the relationship you don’t have, which frees up more time for work and disables you further from having any personal life at all. Then there’s the diet you can’t stick with because convenience food is convenient. Also, if you’re in the middle of a home renovation, you probably won’t have your kitchen fixed, properly, for at least another year. Whatever can go wrong offers new challenges—takes time beyond the 24/7 that you don’t have in the first place. There once was a movie about working 9 - 5. Can you believe it?!
