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dispatches from the new world of work

"My Summer Vacation"

As you know, I haven't been Posting a lot in the last few weeks. True, I've had seminars in Kenya and Brazil, but my calendar is mainly filled with blanks.

My craft this summer has been brush-cutting and landscaping. I've been putting in about 6 hours a day at it—each session ends when exhaustion makes it end. Typically, I do one in the morning around 7:30 a.m., and one in late afternoon, around 4 p.m. I religiously avoid the midday sun.

Yes, I love Posting and love seminar-ing. But I can honestly say that this has given me more pleasure than anything in recent, or not so recent, memory.

First, there is one helluva lot to say for doing outdoor work in the sun, hour after hour, to that point of exhaustion. This may be particularly true for those of us who spend most of our lives parked at a keyboard or parked in a conference chair or parked on a tarmac. Our primal bodies need this sort of thing! And while regular exercise is great, this is of a whole different character—this is really participating in the outdoor world, not just using it to tone heart muscles, important as that is. Second, this is a seriously cool project of my own design; doing heavy-duty yard (farm) work is one thing, and rewarding—but creating something that you dreamed up is a whole different deal. Third, every day brings surprises. Nothing beats surprises! (E.g., I didn't even know that wonderful boulder was there, as it was covered with brush! What a beauty!) This project started out as a simple effort to clean out a stream filled with debris from the forest in which it started—perhaps 20 years of debris. But the "work" meandered and grew day by day into this opportunity to create a fascinating, enchanting zen-like space that reveals a smidgen of the magnificence of this little piece of Southern Vermont heaven. I never know how the day is going to proceed—how sweet that is. Fourth, this project doesn't aim to impress a soul. At 64, I still have hundreds of stomach-knotting "final exams" every year—my 65 or so speeches where expectations are invariably ridiculously high and a "bad day at the office" is not an option, and the likes of the numerous Posts at this Blog (not every Post is a home run, or even a single, but every one is the creation and exposure of something that will be measured by an incredibly diverse crowd. I am "my own man," and somewhat known for my independence of thought—but there are always those external customers, up to 3 or 4 thousand at a speech, tens of thousands here at tompeters.com. Each one is an examining magistrate. Well, there is one customer for this project—me. To be sure, Susan, the artist in the family and a first-rate gardener, offers suggestions, and we and various visitors will use, and perhaps appreciate, the space. But I firmly feel that I am doing this for the sheer joy of doing it, unbidden. Hall of Fame basketball player Larry Bird was once asked what he wanted his epitaph to be; surprisingly, he said that he wanted to have played as hard at practices where not a soul was in attendance as in Game 7 of a World Championship series. Nice.

So that's the deal. Why am I posting less? Because I'm out in the yard (on the farm) doin' my thing, and when I'm not in the yard I'm recovering from that work, and bandaging a thousand cuts from brambles (it looks like I stepped on a mine and barely survived, a friend said—no photos attached) and putting ice on twisted ankles and the like.

Tom Peters posted this on 08/13/07.

Comments

The creative process described vividly â€“ thanks Tom. Having just moved to a new home to a wonderful idyllic English village it is wonderful to look out at our very bland and plain back garden and create the picture of what it might look like in a few years time. I totally agree this beats being sat in front of the keyboard. Long live the great outdoors from an English country farm boy.

Posted by Trevor Gay at August 13, 2007 5:08 PM

Tom,
Some reactions--
1. Implementation of any plan including clearing the brook is hard work--full of obstacles and course corrections. But physical labor can be very rewarding as you see daily results of your efforts. In academia and in training/develpoment pursuits we don't see the direct results of our efforts.
2. You have high standards in designing and presenting your seminars. My bet is you have equally high standards in clearing a brook or doing any farm work. But there are no universally accepted standards of what an A+ cleared brook should look like. You get to set the standard and evaluate results. Isn't that the all great artists and craftsmen work?

Paul B. Thornton

Posted by Paul Thornton at August 13, 2007 5:21 PM

I smiled as I read this entry. It reminded me of something my dear, practical mother, gone just over a year now, used to say. When she'd hear about troubles in some organization, her advice was often, "They should go dig ditches for a while." She meant it in the best possible way...mostly.

In a related way, my father, whose work focused on leading and changing groups, needed some sense of completion at the end of each day - and did not get that in his career. And so, he'd hand wash the dishes. It provided 1) immediate feedback on whether he'd done a good job or not and 2) gave him closure, and the satisfaction of a job well-done, no matter what had gone on the world of organization-changing, with its long, uphill climb (accompanied often by naysayers watching from the sidelines).

My parents' other way to keep their feet firmly on the ground no matter what was going on in the world or community? Gardening. Great big, glorious home grown tomatoes and enjoying the pleasure of the people you're sharing them with...well, it's almost impossible to put a pricetag on that.

Good luck with creating your own zen spot in Vermont. Sounds like a wonderful, memorable, process of discovery.

Posted by Jan Richards at August 13, 2007 7:11 PM

Tom!

Have fun! And try not to see a business metaphor in everything! ;)

Cheers

Adam

Posted by Adam Lawrence at August 13, 2007 7:41 PM

Tom.. if you step on a mine.. I'm there for you ;)

Posted by james hathaway at August 13, 2007 9:36 PM

Having spent considerable time in the Marine Corps, and now chained to a desk doing development work for an accounting firm, I fully appreciate the physical experience you now are finding so enjoyable. Getting physical was a daily routine, while in the 'Corps, and still is for those who serve ... but, we did not have the option of avoiding the mid-day sun. (smile)

BTW - I doubt your friend has seen the effects of stepping on a real mine. They are not 'brambles', to say the least.

Stay motivated! :)

Posted by Gary Williamson at August 14, 2007 8:12 AM

gary,

james hathaway is involved with clear path international [ http://www.cpi.org/index.php ] and in that capacity i'm quite sure he has seen the effects of stepping on a real mine.

Posted by erik at August 14, 2007 8:55 AM

Tom!

Two thoughts:

Thought One: "Before enlightenment, hewing wood and drawing water. After enlightenment, hewing wood and drawing water."

Thought Two: It seems as if the kind of work (play?) you are engaged in is quite central to becoming what Ayrenius is supposed to have called "man fully functioning." I chop wood for our woodstove in winter and afterwards "take pleasure in my pains."

Posted by Brent Burgoyne at August 14, 2007 9:06 AM

Gary, while building an airstrip for our brethren USMC buddies in the Cam Rahn Bay (sp?) environs in '67, I was doubtless saved from serious roughing up by a USN seaman who happened to be between me and a mine that was awoken by a bulldozer blade; fortunately he lived to tell the tale, though not without consequences. I do not take mines, pungi pits, and the like lightly ...

Posted by tom peters at August 14, 2007 9:46 AM

Brent, lovely!!!! (And new to me)

Posted by tom peters at August 14, 2007 9:47 AM

Tom, thanks for the information on the land mine awareness organization, James Hathaway, and your 'Nam experience. For James to say what he did, you must really be messed up beyond all recognition! Either way, your pain, and exercise, are keeping the endorphins flowing! - Semper Fi

Brent - would that have been Irenaeus? I can't find a reference to Ayrenius.

Posted by Gary Williamson at August 14, 2007 2:01 PM

Interesting quotes here from Tiger Woods about training and fitness. I think there's a clear corollary would be with the business world: how many of us really consider being physically fit as part of the job? In all the talk about expert systems and knowledge workers, are we overlooking the fact that we need to be reasonably fit and healthy in order to have the stamina, alertness, determination, energy and general presence we should be displaying.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/6943551.stm

Posted by Mark JF at August 15, 2007 3:07 AM

Good on you, Tom.
I know exactly what you mean. Each time I visit my sister and her husband's farm, they can't get me inside during daylight - I really relish the hard physical work and the contrast with sitting at the keyboard, in meetings, on the phone, on the tarmac, in the car, etc. (Though, I am sure I partly relish it because I'm not doing it all the time...)

Posted by Duncan at August 15, 2007 4:23 AM

As another example in the Larry Bird vein, have a look at this from Jonny Wilkinson, one of the greatest rugby players currently playing: the guy was injured in training so he went out the next day with his agent to complete the training he missed out on the previous day!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby/article2241261.ece

Posted by Mark JF at August 15, 2007 6:51 AM

'Wilko' is a legend Mark ... and of course David Beckham was known for his dedication to training. He spent hours and hours practising free kicks and we all saw the results. I read Tony Jacklin's account of how as a youngster trying to break into the pro golf scene he would stand in a bunker on the practice ground and would not allow himself to leave the bunker until he had sunk THREE SUCCESSIVE BUNKER SHOTS ... that is some dedication... Jacklin said that many times he would be in the bunker for hours. I donâ€™t think there is such a person as an â€˜overnight successâ€™ and of course Gary Player put it wonderfully when he said â€˜The more I practice the luckier I get.â€™

Posted by Trevor Gay at August 15, 2007 8:30 AM

and speaking of Tiger Woods and health, he now intends to design a walk-only golf course. about time i say, but clearly here's a guy who's serious about infecting other people with his health virus.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aEHiETxMmBMo&refer=home

Posted by erik hansen at August 15, 2007 11:06 AM

and Erik...he decides not to compete in the FedEx cup after all the commericals he filmed for them...says he is too tired....come on tiger...I love him, but this brand message sucks....

Posted by Mike Neiss at August 17, 2007 9:01 PM

I once heard a college student say that moving three thousand miles from home allowed her to 'telescope back in' on issues she had totally missed when standing amidst them. My guess is new inspirations will emerge from the brambles for Tom. Getting away is sometimes the best way to get closer to the truth.

Posted by Gary Bradt at August 19, 2007 8:39 AM

Thanks Tom. I totally concur. I agree that there can be a great sense of accomplishment from that sort of work, and the body is spent...but in a good way. I have also found projects like yours to be intellectually stimulating. Something happens when I disengage the brain and go to manual labor. Stuff just pops in. Ideas are formed. Problems are solved.

Keep up the good...work! Hooah!

Posted by Tom Magness at August 19, 2007 4:22 PM

Tom,

When the well tested positive for bacteria, and we
had to carry water up the hill from the lake this
summer, I said, "Either this means we should sell
the place and move to a condo, or it's God's way of
telling me to get back in shape."

John

Posted by Shakespeare's Fool at August 20, 2007 8:17 PM