PUBLISHER’S LETTER
Listening to my friends who are enjoying their retirement, I began to question why they are so stressed out, why their calendars are overflowing with appointments from morning to night, and why they haven’t scheduled time for themselves.
We all know that tomorrow will be here faster than we think. So what’s with the daily routine of running from one appointment to another and volunteering incessantly to make a difference just to come home in the evening and wonder why you’re so exhausted? Where has your energy gone?
As I was pondering this, a quote from a book I recently read came to mind. Yes, I often write down quotes that immediately inspire or ones that I want to research further for a deeper meaning. “Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble.” —Sir Henry Royce In one of my previous publisher’s letters, I stated that I try to live the 8-8-8 rule. So I took paper and pencil and drew three columns for notations as a way to see where my soul searching would take me. Here’s a surprising summary that made me realize it was time to implement change.
8 Hours Sleep
I sleep less.
8 Hours Work
I work many more hours.
8 Hours Doing Things for Myself
I did almost nothing for myself.
Since doing this simple soul searching, I have added meditation to my morning routine and set aside an hour in the afternoon for an online Spanish language course.
For work I now plan what can be accomplished in one day and what I can delegate to others. I learned it was best for me to tackle complex tasks first thing in the morning—things that require a fresh mind or more time. With this approach, I get the work done faster.
But more importantly, I turned off all notifications on my electronic devices as a way to avoid anxiety and the urge to constantly check them every time I heard a ding. I haven’t missed any urgent messages yet. I also started to refrain from helping others by doing their jobs for them. It was too easy to get sucked into “helping” someone rather than giving them the tools or information so they can do it themselves. This actually allows them to finish tasks on their own and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with reaching a goal.
For myself, I follow a rule that my grandfather told me: There is nothing
in the world that you can’t do, you just need to try it until you do it. And so I developed the habit of working on something until I am able to do it. It’s like a baby learning to walk, who falls down but eventually one day will run.
Whatever it is that you want to do or change, you are the only one who can make that happen. If doing something new means moving to a beautiful neighborhood, get in touch with one of Southwest Florida’s top real estate agencies. See Living on Sanibel and Captiva on page 52. If you’ve already found the right home and want to remodel a bit, look for inspiration in Remodeling
Kitchens & Bathrooms on page 60. And if you want an armchair adventure, turn to page 38 for the story Coming in From
the Cold and ride Alaska’s frigid waves with Capt. “Wild” Bill Wichrowski of
Deadliest Catch fame. Think about what makes you happy and take the time to treat yourself. You deserve it.
Daniela J. Jaeger Group Publisher, TOTI Media