Comments on: Professional Mobility: Blessing or Curse??? http://ocvcblog.com/2007/10/01/professional-mobility-blessing-or-curse/% Just a VC in The OC thinking out loud Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:04:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Graeme Thickins http://ocvcblog.com/2007/10/01/professional-mobility-blessing-or-curse/%#comment-140 Graeme Thickins Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:03:43 +0000 http://ocvcblog.com/2007/10/01/professional-mobility-blessing-or-curse/%#comment-140 Marc -- it's definitely a blessing! Being able to work anytime is simply a requirement for anyone who's self employed. (And I have been, for a long time.) My "office" is wherever my laptop happens to be -- and thankfully, 'Net connectivity is just about everywhere these days. Though I must say I'm longing for it on planes! And greatly looking forward to more apps that let me work offline and immediately sync up when I get back online.... However, being able to stop and do other things is important. Over time, you just learn how -- for sanity and other reasons -- or you won't be very successful or able to stay self-employed for long. Most independent professionals soon figure out what the proper balance is. You work, you take a break, you work, you take a break -- whether it's to surf, go for a walk, mow the lawn, drive to the post office, read the paper, just enjoy things around you out in the world, even little things -- anything away from the computer. You come to appreciate those moments. And you have to learn to turn off work *thinking* during those times, too -- well, as much as you can. There's no question that "work" is a very different phenomenon in our always-connected age. It's not an activity that's defined easily by place or time anymore. It's just up to us to manage our time efficiently and balance our life, so work doesn't consume us. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy... :-) Marc — it’s definitely a blessing! Being able to work anytime is simply a requirement for anyone who’s self employed. (And I have been, for a long time.) My “office” is wherever my laptop happens to be — and thankfully, ‘Net connectivity is just about everywhere these days. Though I must say I’m longing for it on planes! And greatly looking forward to more apps that let me work offline and immediately sync up when I get back online….

However, being able to stop and do other things is important. Over time, you just learn how — for sanity and other reasons — or you won’t be very successful or able to stay self-employed for long. Most independent professionals soon figure out what the proper balance is. You work, you take a break, you work, you take a break — whether it’s to surf, go for a walk, mow the lawn, drive to the post office, read the paper, just enjoy things around you out in the world, even little things — anything away from the computer. You come to appreciate those moments. And you have to learn to turn off work *thinking* during those times, too — well, as much as you can.

There’s no question that “work” is a very different phenomenon in our always-connected age. It’s not an activity that’s defined easily by place or time anymore. It’s just up to us to manage our time efficiently and balance our life, so work doesn’t consume us.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy… :-)

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