VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Message Board

Gwind: Spel cheq. - Wednesday January 25, 6:14PM
Wingnut: I'm glad I'm not afflited with a plauge. - Wednesday January 25, 5:51PM
Jl: Nor do you walk like kus - Wednesday January 25, 5:39PM
Nanmoo: Disclaimer - I am in no way afflited with Kus nor was I paid or compensated for this advertisement. - Wednesday January 25, 5:13PM
Nanmoo: I admire Kus ability to sail as much as he does. Work is a plauge, much of it isn't constructive or sustainable long-term, and it is unfortunate how our culture assumes it is something we "should be doing", especially magnitudes past the point of subsitence or neccesity. If everyone balanced their lives as well as Kus, we'd all be better for it I think. - Wednesday January 25, 5:12PM
Jl: & Isn't windsurfing a 'business' trip ?! - Wednesday January 25, 4:53PM
Kus: I unfortunatley work plenty, I just happen to have my priorities straight - Wednesday January 25, 4:26PM
More Force 4: The world returns to balance and harmony; Kus is sailing instead of working - Wednesday January 25, 3:55PM
Kus: SB no worries, I am out now, heading to Kook ;) - Wednesday January 25, 2:37PM
Winddoctor: Kook St. OSR: 4.7-5.5 wind. - Wednesday January 25, 2:36PM
Sandy Beach: you are turning my reality upside down ;p - Wednesday January 25, 1:57PM
Sandy Beach: I can't believe my eyes...Kus stuck in an office, that blows me away ;) - Wednesday January 25, 1:55PM
Kus: Kooking anybody? looks ok, stuck in the office - Wednesday January 25, 1:49PM

Not sure about "balance" or that my family agrees with "my" priorities, all I know is that my windsport has so far preserved my sanity (from what I can discern anyway, I suppose even that is arguable )
As it turns out I should've left (yes, part of that could have easily been a "business trip") to be there @2 today as I had planned (and the model suggested) but I was getting work done for the Man and, to satisfy my unfortunate anal-retentive tendencies (damn my childhood) and assuage my guilt (as a well programmed 20th century worker automaton), I stayed longer.

It is an interesting point. I know I do have an enviable employment situation but as do others of our group. I know some windseekers that work from home or are self-employed or have other means of flexibility, are able to change meetings and appointments or can work at different times like me. I also know some that favorably hold ALL the strings of their employment destiny or time tables and nevertheless choose to stay at work while bemoaning the loss of another session (not naming any names..... MORLEY! ).

So, is it always "work" or perhaps the guarantee of a great one that's needed? Sig Other permission? Does it have to be sunny or warm? You don't have the gear with you? (My question for the latter would be "Why TF not?" I don't leave home without it). Or is it really NOT that important to you afterall. What then has to be in place that gets YOU out when you go
....And don't say "childcare" cuz I had three of them under the age of 5 and still managed lots of sailing. There is payback and it can be hell don't ask

....And if it's work, are there no options? Here are some u may not have considered:
-I for example generally work thru lunch and
-take no coffee breaks
-don't mind working weekends and love overtime...I take all my credit in time, not $$, taxman gets most of that anyway
-type fast, reasonably computer literate, so my reports are done faster than others
-no longer a manager or director, much better to work with peers where you can compare and exceed a work quota, once there....no guilt
-I still lead by example: the guy with the most fun wins
-skip the watercooler gab at the risk of being viewed anti-social
-start early or work late depending on forecast
-use ETO's (earned time off or overtime) in chunks
-book vacation time in hours, not days and cancel them again if wind doesn't show up
-avoid if at all possible responding to meeting requests, delete or check "tentative"
-plan work trips in regard to launch location and wind direction
-check "too busy" to go for or even travel to "training courses"
-learn to rig faster, sail and take a hot shower in the bottle (bring a towel Tony would say) all over a long lunch
-you MUST know the model/approximate forecast AND have BWD Latest (Text) on the cell phone as the homepage or you are doomed to miss out or arrive at glass
-stop working extra "management" time (to get ahead with my last employer, government; instead for my self-stressed efforts I was made redundant by Mr. Campbell, heaven knows heavy construction safety is self-regulating and happens on its own )
-will never accept a Mon-Fri 8-5 job ever again in my life

I can't speak to wind addiction, as a newbie, but can speak to surfing ... where there's a similar problem (I thought surfing was worse, in terms of how fickle it is, but am starting to realize wind sports may be just as bad or possibly worth ... "should have been here 10 minutes ago, it was going off").

That work/life balance can become a poison when your life gets super busy and you're always trying to sneak in your fun. Because you can only go when your schedule allows, you miss the good days/times (bitter!) and then inevitably when you can go it's crap (bitter bitter!). Then the ultimate stoke death sentence -- when you start measuring your surf/wind session against what you had to give up to get it and weighing if it was "worth it". Because once you say "I should have stayed at home/work" and you mean it, that's the start of only going when it's a sure thing ... and it's almost never a sure thing, and soon you'll be too out of shape to chase it properly when it's good, and your gear will start to suffer and not be in order, etc etc. That's a vicious circle right there.

The keys to it, I figure ... got to change up that mindset. You will definitely get nothing if you don't go. If you do go, then focus on what's good about it, even if it's just a beach walk with your dog. Convince your spouse/family/boss that you will be a much better person, nicer to be around, and more productive if you get your opportunity for fun when you really need it. Once you succeed, DON'T ABUSE THE PRIVILEGE ... it can be taken away in most unpleasant ways!

juandesooka wrote:I can't speak to wind addiction, as a newbie, but can speak to surfing ... where there's a similar problem (I thought surfing was worse, in terms of how fickle it is, but am starting to realize wind sports may be just as bad or possibly worth ... "should have been here 10 minutes ago, it was going off").

Ohhhhhh man, you can't even compare the two. If you thought surfing was fickle, then wind is... I don't know, fickle times 1000!

I think it is a balancing act. Unfortunately most of us have to work to pay for basic things like food and shelter, plus our gear to have fun, that is our unfortunate reality. How much, and how hard too work is the big question. People seem to accept the reality of working more and more it seems, and I think consumer society is a condition and precursor of that, which turns into a inescapable cycle.

Of course some work that gets done is truly fulfilling stuff that positively contributes to society and if I had one of those jobs I might want to work more, but I think this is the exception, not the rule. Most who like their job like it as a job, they wouldn't do it as an non-paying hobby, and there is a big difference.

The one thing I've never really understood about our culture is the backwardsness of it all. There is quite a bit of pressure to throw away the best years of our life slaving at work, hedging our bets, so that one day 45 years down the road we might retire and play some golf even though there is no guarantee we'll ever make it there. Recently a co-worker passed away one year shy of retirement, they had spent nearly 4 decades working and dreaming about what they'd get up to once they retired, but it wasn't meant to be. Thankfully they had a lot more free time then the average bear to enjoy life and what is has to offer.

Bottom line is - none of us know when our time is up or when our bodies will give out, it could end tomorrow, next week or in a couple decades. I think I am going to be far more upset about a missed session then a few missed dollars, so I'll focus on striving for those sessions, not those dollars (in balance to support sessions of course!).

Windsurfing has introduced me to great a group of people who apprieciate life in a different way than the mainstream conglomerate, as a result they have drastically changed my view on life and work, and what is important - and I am very grateful for that. As a side note -by and large these same folks seem much happier and content than the typical shmuck, and I think that speaks volumes.

nanmoo wrote: Windsurfing has introduced me to great a group of people who apprieciate life in a different way than the mainstream conglomerate, as a result they have drastically changed my view on life and work, and what is important - and I am very grateful for that. As a side note -by and large these same folks seem much happier and content than the typical shmuck, and I think that speaks volumes.

Yeah, that's for sure. I've spent most of my adult life either chasing waves or scheming for how to catch more waves -- I sometimes wonder what "normal" people do with their time, what motivates them to wake up in the morning and do it all over again day after day? Like Harry Dean Stanton said in Repo Man ... "Normal people....can't f***in' stand 'em".

Whether it's surfing, windsurfing, skiing, fishing, or even golf, it's pretty easy to tell who is living with some passion in their lives. That addiction, that drive, that sly smile and glimmer in their eye ... that's about getting above the rat race, looking down at the world below, and feeling alive!

Bring it on...

I read this as I try to overcome my work ethic & figure out an early retirement scheme so I can kite & play @ will

Cost of Wind Addiction = OCD....Not giving a s%t about the cost = Priceless!

Its true I don't take all the time off to sail that I theoretically could. I'm trying to take more: there always seems to be a critical phone call that comes in or a report or letter that I've promised that MUST go that afternoon. And I feel an enormous sense of guilt to go and play and leave employees working. It just feels morally wrong, even when I come in and stay late or over a weekend when its not windy. I was brought up to lead by example. But then maybe I should be setting an example of balancing priorities? I'm working on trying to get over that guilt, and I have taken some more time than I used to. And I need to be more efficient when I am at work. I really don't have that many years left I can take time off!

It only makes some difference that I love my job; about 10% of it is really fun and fulfilling. The other 90% is probably just as much drudgery as most people suffer through.

Kus really takes the prize for fast rigging and derigging; he can squeeze in an entire session into an hour and a quarter that most of us need to just get in the wetsuit and boots, put in the contacts, find that the extension is the wrong length, fuss with the boom length, and take it all apart again. I find I need 3 or 4 hours to get a session in, and that is a lot of time out of the workday.

Regardless, it is a goal of mine to make that work/sailing ratio better! That is going to be a difficult thing to pull off with an imminent tripling of my business. More deferred gratification

Good thread,

I have too many degrees, could likely make more in business than teaching it. But I made a decision in mid 30's (10 yrs ago!) to not ever do anything I don't like or ever work with people that I don't like. I like teaching and I like students. And the university instructor schedule is pretty good. Plus it is flexible (ie can mark exams at night or on the road).

I set goals each each year....my minimum is 30 ski days + 30 windsurf/surf days each year.

But with a job, wife, house and 2 busy kids it takes a bit of effort. Most "regular" people are just too lazy to put in that required effort. ie don't want to get up at 4:00 am to make a 6:20 ferry to get to Nitinat by noon. Or drive 100km each way to Baker 11 out of 14 days over Xmas.

I just skiied my 20th day at Baker on Sunday. People I work with at UFV are stunned at this (I don't usually tell them cause I don't want them to know). It's all about organizing and making it a priority.

Keith

In the last couple of years I have definitely upped my quota of TOW. I have changed the way my business operates to make for more flexible scheduling of my time. I am way more specialized. I waste less time. Maybe a bit less money. A nice by-product is less stress. I think I enjoy the work and the people I interact with more. I delegate what I can. I work with great people. I am lucky I can get away with all this.

There is lots of sailing around here within 10-45 min. If you have your gear in your car or some of it, rig reasonably fast, compulsively scan bigwavedave.ca, you can go sailing for a couple of hours in a morning or afternoon or evening in Port Alberni and still do some work. Might even have time to give your kid(s) or significant other a hug. Make sure that when you get on the water your board and/or sail are big enough. If you only have an hour you can sail overpowered/overboarded but you don't have time to rerig.

Life is short. Riding that big wave on Tuesday at CB sure was fun. I am trying to get over the guilt of not being at the office. But I'm already dreaming of the next one.

1-20 yearly sessions....trying to impress the girlfriend.
21-40 yearly sessions....trying to impress the wife.
41-50 yearly sessions....trying to impress the in-laws.
51-55 yearly sessions....trying to impress the kids.
56-70 yearly sessions....trying to impress the neighbours.
71-100 yearly sessions....trying to finally get it.
101-120 yearly sessions....trying to impress Kus.
121 plus yearly sessions....Cry Havoc....and let slip the dogs of war!

more force 4 wrote:But then maybe I should be setting an example of balancing priorities?

I think that is a valid thought, because ultimately your example becomes cyclical for all those who follow, who in time will be asking themselves the same question. Why not be the one who breaks the cycle?

Bring in a partner, allow the employee's to buy in etc... split the responsibility and the workload, might make less money, but at what cost? More free time, less stress? Everyone needs to evaluate what those are worth to them. My Dad runs his business like you describe, almost always has, always taking on more and more, does really well but he is constantly stressed and can't truly enjoy his own success. Different strokes for different folks, but it's hard to say if it is worth it.

Think about friends we have lost I often have John Reed looking over my shoulder when I kite I can almost hear his laugh ... Almost If you miss a day on the water can you get that day back

A day spent on the water is not subtracted from the rest of your life. Get on the water every day, live forever!

I liked that winddoc. Here it is in Latin: Dies aqua non consumptas subtrahi reliqua vita tua. Get in aqua quotidie in sempiternum vive

Balancing water time and wind has always been a problem for me. Getting off early or not going in for a day is not an option at my job. Maybe a better job is the way to go but for now that's how it is. I enjoy windsurfing and skiing, both very condition dependant. Often the days off and desirable conditions don't line up and I have found other ways to deal with that. I found it important to find a sport that I get a similar joy from that can be done regardless of weather, for me its motorcycle trials. I get to ride Sunday's at 10 am each week unless its windy or powder. This for me has been a saving grace. Hoping for a windy day on my next day off or 20cm's!