Friday, March 19, 2010

Walking and Talking with Mike

I’ve always been a busy guy, enjoying the challenges of a life filled with tasks and chores, commitments and goals, careers and relationships, hobbies and autodidactic journeys, as well as mixing in a little fun and games, whenever possible. But these past several months have pushed even my hectic (by choice, for the most part) lifestyle to a new level. And this is both a good and bad thing, depending on what priorities and things-to-do lists get done or shuffled off to the black void, otherwise known as my email backlog, my reading list, my website obligations, and just about anything else that I WANT to do, but am unable to get to.

So, what is this, huh, Mike? One of those whine fests of a blog post?

Umm, kind of, sort of, maybe…I’ll get back to you on that. While you’re waiting, watch this:

Walking and Talking with Mike: Living in the Moment



The biggest challenge for me these days is trying to find more time in the day to do more things than ever—a major chore for most of us, I imagine. I have so many projects brewing right now with my music, websites, writing, and videos that if I quit my day job and worked on nothing but them I still wouldn’t be able to do all that I want. And speaking of that day job, therein lies some of the time/balance conundrum.

For a dozen years I was a work-at-home-dude, a telecommuter , a guy who was lucky and talented (ahem, thank you) enough to be able to earn a very good living without having to commute, share office space, dress up, interact with “some” people…you get the picture. And I can honestly say that for just about all of those dozen or so years, it was a very sweet deal.

But a funny thing happened a while back, and that guy who loved being at home suddenly wanted to spread his wings (again, for I used to work in offices for years before my WAH venture) and rejoin the “real” working world. The availability of a tremendous opportunity for career growth added to this desire, so I went for it.

And here I am, back in an office, interacting with “those” people, sharing space, dressing up (even showering), and joining the queue of proletarians commuting to work. Do I regret this change? No, not at all…except for the time spent on all of the above. Precious time lost to necessity that I used to have to spend on other things…like that laundry list of tasks and chores I lamented about at the start of this…well, ah, lament.

That’s one of the reasons I produced this video:

How to...Find the Time and Balance



And one of the reason I have started walking and talking with a video camera in my hand again. Firstly, I enjoy walking (do it everyday!), and as most of you know, I kind of like to talk too. Also, with my time restraints, multitasking may be my only option left, save for voluntary retirement…but I’m not ready for that yet.

As a matter of fact, I love what I am doing—managing people, helping them grow, mentoring and developing them. Leading and shaping minds as an exemplar—an extension of Mike Foster and this blog and my video site, only without all the green tea and missing hair videos.

Besides having to get used to commuting back into the office world again, I have had to embrace and understand a new generation of workers—call them the X, Y, Z-er’s…with a few Boomers tossed in for good measure. And while the more things change the more they stay the same, I understand that if you do not try to adapt to this multi-faceted new workforce you have a good chance of being passed right by.

That was on my mind during a recent walk:

Walking and Talking with Mike: Managing the Generations



That wasn’t too much of a whine fest, was it?

Actually…oops, hold on, cell phone…and instant message, oh, and my email just froze up.

Yes? Be right there! Wait, hello? No, hold please….

I gotta go…


Until next time…

peace,

Mike

12 comments:

j said...

I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying it (of course). Perhaps I'll return to that world of commuting and daily showering some day.

Dwacon said...

Great to enjoy nature and unwind. I need to do more of that.

Faisal Admar said...

jeez!

you got same problem with me. no time...

lately i have been very busy with sports. so many sports like swim, badminton and soccer.

workload is hell a lot, too.

now i need to focus on my final exam which is just around the corner :)

so good luck to me, and you too.

Susan Blake said...

Hi Mike! I enjoyed the walk/talk with you! Anyone you are "managing" should be thrilled at the prospect of having YOU as a mentor! I sure would be!
Peace and hugs
suZen

Barry said...

Been there seen it, done it, got caught up in it, got cancer, went on sick leave, retired when sick leave ran out, dropped my political involvements, dropped my community work, got totally absorbed by my disease and the healing thereof, and then....

Suddenly found myself with nothing to do. So I am now more cautiously rebuilding a more balanced life.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving behind a meaningful comment. I really appreciate that. Thanks for your wonderful post. God bless.

Unknown said...

jennifer: daily showering ain't all that it's cracked up to be...

dwacon: unwinding with nature...sweet.

faisal: good luck to us both, we're gonna need it...

suzen: very kind of you...you're not that bad a mentor either...

barry: so apropos...when we have too much to do we dream of the days when we have little...and then dream of the days when we used to have lots more...hope all is well, barry...

mel: thanks for stopping by...





peace,

mike

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heidi said...

Love the walking and talking!!! So Mike! I wish you were my manager!!!! I went back to the office too and I love it!!!! They are lucky to have you!

Rod said...

If something is important to you, you will give time to it, no matter what, otherwise it wouldn't be important to you. It could be something positive like volunteer work or spending time with family, to negative things like an addiction...if something is truly important to you, you will give time to it. It's crucial to stay on the healthy things and on to be disciplined.

Unknown said...

heidi: oh, heidi, i wish i were your manager too...or you mine...

rod: so apt, we are driven by what means the most to us, sometimes only understood by us...the key is to give even when it doesn't seem that vital to us...thing about it..




peace,

mike

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