Sometimes I have to take an unexpected day off.

Today is one of those days. It’s not something I like doing, but with a young family sometimes it’s necessary. I’m one of the few lucky people who really enjoys what they do, so I’m working on one project or another most of the time.  When I can’t work for whatever reason, I find it quite hard as it feels like all the things I have to do are mounting up. My solution is to put them all on my todo list and then it doesn’t usually take long to plough through them when I’m working again.

Some people tell me that I’m a workaholic, but I don’t feel like a person who compulsively works excessively hard and long hours. In fact I’m dreadful at long hours.

One of my favorite films when I was a teenager was pretty woman. In the film Vivian, played by Julie Roberts, talks Edward, played by Richard Gear into taking a day off. Complete shock ripples through Edward’s office at the news he is taking a day off. Vivian takes Edward to a park and confiscates his mobile phone mid conversation. She succeeds in getting Edward to relax. He ends up, still in his suit, minus his shoes and socks, under a tree.  Pretty Woman is a Cinderella story where Vivian melts the heart of the hard nosed businessman. The park scene is where she begins to change him for the better.

I’m no hard nosed business man, but I am sometimes overly focussed when I should be relaxing. Taking a day off is not usually something I enjoy, but it often does me good and is good for those around me.

Blog by Paul Grenyer