Coconuts Keep Falling On My Head

How am I supposed to work when there is so much juicy stuff going on in the world today?!


Arguably two of the most politically interesting countries - India and the US - come together today as Obama visits India, during Diwali, an Indian microfinance crisis, a US mid-term backlash against the Demo's, and a clean-up of coconuts from the trees of Mumbai to protect Mr Obama's head. There are too many interesting articles on diplomacy and foreign policy to be read, Sri Lanka beat Australia in cricket, again, and Sarah Palin is entertaining me too much.

Moreover, all of this reminds me that I'm going to be in Sri Lanka, and maybe India, for over a month in Dec/Jan. I'm actually leaving this job, after complaining about it for the better part of a year. Fixed my leaving date. It's really happening this time. And as I was going to Sri Lanka anyway, and January is not a great time to be looking for work, extending the trip just made sense. It will mostly be an amazing holiday, but I should also be able to explore a few of my dropout-related interests.

So, with all of this in mind, how can I possibly work today?

Struggling to Work

Quiet times in my blogging are usually indicative of developments with work. I am significantly busier - my inbox is more active, I have increased deadline pressure, there've been leavers, new joiners, new relationships forming in the office that are eating my time, and a potential (& tempting) job offer from my last company.

Lots to think about. I wish I had more time to write about it - would probably help.

In the meantime, one thing to note is that I respond to work stress in an entirely different way now that I'm contracting, and not wholly committed to the job/industry. There is a sort of overarching calm that comes from the detachment. I took the above picture in India; it's the view from the back of the Taj Mahal...a brief connection to the serenity outside felt from within touristy craziness. And that's how I feel today - overwhelmed with work but with these little glimpses of the world outside of this office & this job, because this isn't really my life anymore, or even a huge part of it, and I won't measure myself by my performance here.

It is, however, my chosen means to my chosen end, so my performance does count for something and I could do without my priorities being quite so warped (e.g. why am I blogging at 11:50 when I have a major 3pm deadline, feeling, somehow, that work is getting in the way of my life).

I need a lot more discipline if I'm going to survive here.

Distraction

I shouldn't be at work today. I'm in some crazy dreamy place where I'm tortured by internal forces that are too many in number, too opposing in nature and too powerful and overwhelming to allow me to concentrate on, say, firming up user requirements. Hope, love, disgust, frustration, fear, courage, forgiveness.

I think I'm in India.