NOTE: This was supposed to go out this morning, but for some reason it did not. So I guess the mail program took a short Sabbath. Anyway, here is what was supposed to be this morning’s Thriving in Exile.
Some of you are working way too hard during the COVID-19 crisis.
Some of you have too much time on your hands and you’re trying to find a way to stay busy.
Either way: there is still the need for Sabbath.
Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, used to tell a story about a lumberjack who cut down 40 trees on his first day, and then 30, then 20, until he was down to just a couple a day. (The details are fuzzy in my mind, so Covey might have used different numbers, but the principle is the same.) The foreman checked with the lumberjack about the reason for the dropoff and found him using a very dull saw, working harder than ever for much poorer results.
The foreman suggested the lumberjack take time to sharpen his saw, to which the lumberjack replied, “Man, I don’t have time for that! I’m too far behind!”
I don’t mean to suggest that you take the time to “sharpen your saw” simply because you can then get more work done, although that’s probably true. It’s not just about productivity. It’s about functioning, which isn’t the same thing.
If you’re working way too hard, in the current crisis you probably can’t take a whole day. Just five minutes can help, though. Give yourself breath breaks, coffee breaks, bathroom breaks. You’re less likely to make mistakes, and you’ll save time in redoing things.
On the other hand, if you seek to fill your time because you’re bored, take a Sabbath from such seeking. Let yourself be bored for a few minutes, or even for a day. As I’ve aged, I’ve found that what I used to think of as boredom is really simply peace. It’s nice to not have to constantly seek stimulation and distraction. If you have too much time on your hands, don’t miss the opportunity for boredom.
Peace.