Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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January 5, 2007

Four Days Make a Long First Week . . .

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 6:01 am

I've been thinking . . .
It’s a priniciple of the work universe. Four-day work weeks alter the time-space continuum. How does a week seem so long and confusing when there is one day less to do that it? This week, I thought Monday was Tuesday. . . .

It’s Friday and I wish I was on a tropical beach . . . or taking a nap.

Still I usually do better at adjusting to changes than I have to this particular four-day week. It took me until Thursday to lose that “I’ve been on holiday” feeling.

Wait a minute, that’s the problem.

This wasn’t my usual four-day work week thing. The stakes were raised exponentially by the fact that it’s the VERY FIRST week back to work of 2007. No wonder, I don’t know where I am. I’m back to normal working days again. Normal isn’t my usual state. Even when things are normal, I’m a little off balance — hmmph not that anyone, who never met me, might notice.

The hardest week of the year — the week after the holidays — is over!

That changes everything and I’m changing everything too! I’ll make space this afternoon to put some “new” into my new year. I know exactly what I will do.

I’ll say good-bye to 2006 officially. Toss my old calendar. So long to cards and things left from the holidays sitting around my computer gathering dust.

I’ll get control of 2007. Lay out things that still need to be done. Plan what I’ll do first on Monday and what three most important I pick for my focus.

I’ll set up my command center. Put the things I use most where I use them.

I’ll make a plan for the weekend that gives my brain a break. I’ll walk out the door feeling in control again.

I made it to Friday of the first week of 2007! There’s no stopping me now. I’m ready to change the world again. A celebration is in order. I’ll meet a friend for some coffee, buy a book, and a CD.

Okay so I won’t go to that tropical beach, but a nap or even two just might be in order.

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26 Comments to “Four Days Make a Long First Week . . .”

  1. January 5th, 2007 at 6:13 am
    Jesse said

    I think this is actually the second-longest week of the year at my company. The reason being, right before Christmas, we cut off acceptance of new documents for processing. There is no such thing as a rush or deadline that week.

    If we get it done, we get it done.

    Couple that with one of those days of the week possibly being my birthday, which I always take off of work, makes for a very long and boring 3-4 days, with a half-day right before our break that usually ends up sending people home at 9:30am! :) It was time to go shopping!

    I completely agree with your take on “normal working days.” I’m not putting in any overtime or odd hours this week. I just don’t have it in me. Therefore, this is not normal yet.

    C’mon next week already!

  2. January 5th, 2007 at 6:20 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jesse!
    Yeah, there’s that feeling of “we’re not really back, are we?” I didn’t know quite how to fit that in. People walk around a little bit brighter –kind of like over-lit Christmas tress after Chritmas when the house lights are turned back on.

    And everyone keeps asking did you get what you’re wearing for Christmas, even if you have worn it before. I never wear anything new for at leaast month I don’t like people looking at me.

    We’re all a still a little away from work in our heads and we know the next big thing to come is SPRING . . . and it’s so far away from now.

    It’s the let down after the holidays. But we can make it the up of a new beginning. We can make this shiny and set off on a new advneture to change the world!!!

  3. January 5th, 2007 at 6:38 am
    Jesse said

    I have already made my year shiny, and it makes things a lot better than in years past. Last year was a great year, but this is going to be my best year. I just know it.

    And everyone keeps asking did you get what you’re wearing for Christmas, even if you have worn it before. I never wear anything new for at leaast month I don’t like people looking at me.

    I am a bit different on this topic… I LOVE to wear all of my new clothes, because I didn’t have to shop for them and I know that I look good in them because my wife picked them.

    I wish you “a shiny” this year, too.

  4. January 5th, 2007 at 7:19 am
    Char said

    It’s such a gray, rainy day here, I think a Friday afternoon nap may be in order! Coffee with a friend sounds good too, but I did that Wednesday in celebration of the kids going back to school.

    Have a great weekend, Liz.

  5. January 5th, 2007 at 7:34 am
    Grigor said

    Hello Liz,
    wish you successfull New year.
    You’re right, this week was really confusing starting on Tuesday. Fortunatelly, not so hard at work, but little bit frustrating because of server problems.
    Following your thoughts, maybe there should be two official new year events. We could call them “hard celebration” (existing one on 31.12., with lot of people, music, some drinks,…) and “soft celebration” (a week later, alone, soft drinks only…).
    :)

  6. January 5th, 2007 at 7:36 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jesse,
    Oh I know I’m a little odd about the Christmas clothes thing. I just have a high self-conscious gene. :)

    Thanks for the “shiny” wishes. I wish you the “sparkly” same. :)

  7. January 5th, 2007 at 7:38 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Char!
    I understand about the kids going back to school. I’m at the other end of that one, my son goes back to college for the last time on Sunday. . .

    A sad celebration, to lose our job as caretakers, but a celebration nonetheless. :)

  8. January 5th, 2007 at 7:39 am
    ME Strauss said

    Grigor!
    What a fine idea. A week after the big celebration to spend in reflection alone or with only those very close to us. You should be a world event planner. I think you have a blog post idea there. :)

  9. January 5th, 2007 at 8:29 am
    Kian Ann said

    Liz, I think we all are facing the same issues getting on momentum after the holiday season, so give yourself credit for pulling through!

    All the best for 2007! Lets reach out and change the world! :P

  10. January 5th, 2007 at 8:30 am
    ME Strauss said

    You got it, Kian Ann!

    Let’s go out to change the world!

  11. January 5th, 2007 at 10:44 am
    Chris Cree said

    It’s 2007 already?! (Just kidding)

    I think I may have the solution for you next year, Liz. Take this week off, banish technology from your vacation while you are at it, and then you avoid all the hassle. You can start next week fresh. :)

    I knew I was having a great vacation when one of our Australian friends asked what day it was and we all had to think pretty hard to come up with the right day!

  12. January 5th, 2007 at 10:49 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Chris!
    You sound great! Thanks for the solution! I’m feeling fine! Don’t think I need it. I’m guessing I’d just be as confused that next week as I was this one. :)

    Confusion is a natural state of mind for me. I’m getting to enjoy it. I learn a lot from the experience, and I get blog posts from it. :)

  13. January 5th, 2007 at 11:20 am
    Jeff Brown said

    I made it to Friday of the first week of 2007! There’s no stopping me now.

    To insure the coolest weekend ever, you could schedule a phone conference at 5:30 Friday afternoon. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Spend your last minutes before your weekend celebration talking about, uh, I got it….real estate. And white papers, yeah that’s it. That way you won’t have to ’segue’ into the weekend. You’ll simply hang up the phone, get your ‘it’s-time-for-my-weekend-celebration’ smile on, begin your happy dance and boogie right out the front door. :-)

    Now that’s a Plan!

  14. January 5th, 2007 at 11:24 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Jeff!
    What an idea! I’m not sure I could arrange it at this late date, but I’m going to do my gosh darn dolly darnedest to make that happen. It sounds like such a purposeful plan.

    I’m on it!! :)

  15. January 5th, 2007 at 11:25 am
    Francie said

    I’ve had trouble knowing what day it is for the last 2 weeks. With all the celebrating every day felt like Sat or Sun. Then when I had to work it felt like Mon even on Tues or Wed.

    I have trouble letting go of the holiday season. It’s so much fun, then January is so long and bleak. But, your suggestions sound good. I”ll take the tree down tomorrow (12th night, but not many people seem to hold to that anymore) and get out my new calendar.

  16. January 5th, 2007 at 11:28 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Francie!
    A clean sweep, as they say, is what I need to feel like I’ve got a new outlook for the new year. It makes my brain feel lighter and brighter — like I’ve cleaned the windshield on my car. :)

  17. January 5th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
    WPS said

    “Some beach, somewhere, where there’s no where to go and you’ve got all day to get there.” That’s what I hear every time my cell phone rings. Hopefully as the New Year progresses, and the unsettledness of the holidays settles down, greater contentment with reality - and productivity - will follow. I appreciate your words, and the heart that they reveal. Peace.

  18. January 5th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi WPS,
    That beach is sounding very tempting. I agree. :)

    No worries. That sunrise, the one that is inspiring, will catch you just when you least expect it. If not the sunrise, then the amazing, intriguing problem that just has your name on it will come calling, and you find yourself wanting to solve it. :)

  19. January 5th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
    Starbucker said

    Liz, thanks, you wrote what I was feeling today, and better yet, you (and my wonderful fellow commenters) have provided “The Half-Fuller’s Guide to Surviving the First Work Week of the New Year”. Cosmic. I’m spreadin’ the news on my blog tomorrow! All the best.

  20. January 5th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Starbucker!!
    Hey, I’m delighted that thinking out loud helped a little. It’s like we used to say in high school, “We’re just bozos on this bus. We’ll keep on riding.” :)

    What the heck. We made it to another Friday!!

  21. January 5th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
    Whitney said

    I was having a hard time sinking into the new year until I ran across an article in my backlog of reading (http://finance.yahoo.com/columnist/article/yourlife/18699). Entering 2007, I’m on the edge of achieving what I’ve always wanted to…I just have to exert some effort and reach for the brass ring, and the Yahoo article reminded me of that.

    For those who talked about January being long and dreary, I offer a suggestion. Some time ago, my local friends and I decided to forego buying each other Christmas gifts and later decided to stop sending Christmas cards. Instead, we go out for lunch or dinner to someplace REALLY NICE — one of those places you wouldn’t ordinarily go to because the cheapest appetizer is $10, cheapest entree is $20, and cheapest dessert is $8. We take over a table, have a good meal, some order good wine, some order good coffee, and we just sit and talk and really listen. No time limits, no kids trying to pull you out of the restaurant. Just connecting.

    When you have several separate groups of friends that you do this with, January becomes a lot less dreary.

  22. January 6th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
    Delaney Kirk said

    Nothing wrong with going to the beach–I’ve made that my New Year’s resolution…every Friday afternoon I’ll be soaking up the sun at the beach. Of course, I had to put it on my calendar in order to make sure I would take the time off.

  23. January 6th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Delaney!
    Ah the advantage of having a beach nearby! I think I have to settle for that nap . . . . :)

  24. January 8th, 2007 at 10:18 am
    Sandra Renshaw said

    Hi Liz,

    “I’ll set up my command center. Put the things I use most where I use them.”

    That’s what I’m doing - getting the small things in life under control - arranging my work area like a the cockpit of an airplane.

    Sandy

  25. January 8th, 2007 at 10:20 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Sandy!
    like the cockpit of an airplane. I like that description!!! That will surely save time in getting things done.

    Be sure to leave yourself some legroom. ;)

  26. December 23rd, 2007 at 6:49 am
    More Conversations with Mopey and Harry, or the "The Half-Fuller’s Guide to Surviving the First Work Week of the New Year" : TerryStarbucker.com said

    [...] I work with called it “regaining the mojo”; Liz Strauss looked at it as trying “to lose that ‘I’ve been on a holiday’ feeling“. I call it the next round in the continuing battle for my psyche between my friends Mopey Murphy [...]

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