Regardless of what I perceive on social media – which, let’s face it, is like judging every John Grisham novel by reading only Skipping Christmas (Christmas with the Kranks) – it is impossible to work 24/7 productively, efficiently and with joyous abandon, without being carted away in a special jacket and re-housed in a rubber room. Social media reinforces the myth that:

1. Everyone is successful
2. Mental health is not an issue
3. Everyone is having a much happier time in life than you or I.
4. Everyone else appears to be breezing through life without a care in the world.
5. Everyone should be connected with everyone else in the world.

Having a healthy work life, I’ve come to realize, starts with a plan.   If no real plan exists and day-to-day life is a series of whatever comes up separated by periods of self-loathing for not being able to accomplish what I imagine the rest of the world is accomplishing, then the rubber truck is waiting in full idle outside my door.

So…..

A Plan:

1. Get one.
2. The tool to use,  is whatever works for you – pen/paper, electronic, crayons, cave wall paintings – what every feels right AND is enjoyable.
3. Plan time to plan.  Creating a plan is good – but useless if you don’t use it – DAILY.
4. Plan time to NOT work. And unless you are in the chain of command to deploy nuclear missile launch codes, disconnect from all screens – at least for a significant part of the time – say 95%.

A Bit O Trivia – the phrase “It’s better to have a bad plan than no plan at all” is attributed to no less than seven different people – according to internet wisdom.