Sleep, n.: or why I don't
OH on twitter today: why are people up all night, working themselves to exhaustion? Isn't it time for you to take a nap.
No, it's not time for me to take a nap.
I'd love to, but here's the problem with that.
I've got bills, inflation has been killing me now for the last five years, seriously, where my income has been less than my expenses ('outgo' as it's called). That's when I have had a job. There's been times, like that Christmas-time when I and everybody else got fired? When I haven't had a job. Do you know how long it takes to find a new job. That takes time.
Oh, and the new job I got. Every morning, I got to wake up and ask myself: what is the boss going to scream at me, in front of everybody, about today? Do I have an answer for him?
Some days I had an answer. Sometimes, my answer was: I just don't have an answer for you.
I'm an expert in my fields of mathematics and computer science. Me, not having an answer for this guy? Wasn't good enough for him. Lots of times, my answers weren't good enough for him.
So I quit that job. People cried when I left, because I was one of the ones who tried to make people's lives better, not worse. I'm sorry to have left that job, but I had to retreat and take care of myself then.
Left in the morning before dawn, came home to pitch-black night, every day. Worked through a lot of weekends. 'Shouldn't you take a nap?'
Sure. That job paid $1,000 less per month than what our bills were.
So now I'm at this new job, a few blocks south of the old one: same commute. And now I don't know what the hell I'm doing, because I'm planning the work for the next two years. I'm not a manager/planner, I'm a mathematician. I am failing in this job big-time, so how long will I last here before I'm out of a job again, looking for work? Before my first pay-check?
So, I'm starting a business, because you know why? because nobody is making ends meet on their job, and once their productive years are over, they are going to be paid a big fat pension and social security is going to send them a huge check to cover all their expenses for the rest of their lives?
Sure, if they commit suicide right (before) their last payday at work.
People, we all are in hot water, and if you're not, my hat's off to you, but if you are, you're 1) in a lot company, 2) smart if you see the writing on the wall 3) working two jobs to make ends meet and 4) wondering how the hell you're going to survive your retirement.
Oh, take a nap and chillax, the problems can wait.
Sure they can.
And your wife isn't asking you how we're going to pay the mortgage or rent and the insurance this month?
But a nap sounds oh-so-good right about now, doesn't it?
Or, how about this?
Instead of napping, write.
My novel-in-progress? I have received three emails so far of people who said they didn't kill themselves because of something I wrote stayed their hand from offing themselves.
How many lives have you saved today? How many lives will your nap?
I ask myself that every day I don't write: what is your problem? Is it so big that it's bigger than saving somebody's life today.
But you go take that nap and scold me for not taking one myself, so you can justify yours because we all bow our heads to your level.
Instead of napping, work.
The first eight hours of work let you live today.
The next eight hours let you live for tomorrow. What are you doing with those next eight hours?
I'm starting a business that will multiply not only my income, but will also create wealth.
Do you have wealth? Do you have the ability to create wealth?
Yes, you do. You are a human being, alive right now, you have ideas x, y, and zed in your head, or if you're a talkative sombitch, that you're complaining and whining about every day.
Instead of talking and whining, and saying, 'oh, I'll get to that sometime; I'll get to that someday,' … get to it now. Get to it today.
The difference of a successful business owner and a good worker is …
Ta-dah!
Nothing, and less than nothing.
The business owner just takes responsibility for his or her own sphere, including the people of the company. The good worker just takes responsibility for his or her own sphere on the job.
So, do so damn well at work, they start thinking 'we've got to promote this one; this one is actually doing something, unlike all the others.'
And shut up, you've seen it on the job, the 80/20 rule. 80%: tell me what to do, or I'll do nothing. 20%: I did this; what do I do next?
Where do you fit in?
Fit yourself into the 20% on your job. Your life and soul depend on it.
Then, start a business, when you know you're ready, and fit your business in the top 20%.
Then we'll talk about naps.
Okay, so let's talk about naps.
Last night, instead of working through, I took a nap. So my technical indicators system, not ready for prime-time, is still not ready for prime time.
We'll get back to that cost in a minute.
Last night, instead of preparing my lunch for today, I took a nap. So now I need to buy lunch. The cheapest option is to buy some tasteless GMO-crap at Safeway, which, in Bethesda, will set me back $7-$8. So, Chipotle? That's ten dollars. That's the cost of a nap.
Also, I didn't prepare breakfast. I got a free muffin at dunkin donuts because I have a dunkin donuts card from my employer, because I listen and retain. Then I bought my yogurt at Safeway: $1.69 and I got to stand in line behind an idiot, again. And then I bought a small coffee for $2.07.
An additional $4 that nap cost me.
We have no credit left. None. I paid cash.
But I should take a nap.
The last technical indicators system. I worked with the guy who developed it. His partner (not me) sold out on him for a cool lowest bidder of $5 …
$5 million dollars.
My technical indicators system is not ready for prime time. It's making money …
Listen to me … my technical indicators system is making money!
How much work-per-day will I have to do once this system is up and running? Oh, I estimate 30 minutes per day. And then it makes money for me that day.
That system, when it's ready for prime time, and up and running with a proven audit-trail will be worth no less than $30 million dollars.
But, instead of working on it last night, getting it ready for prime time, I took a nap.
My nap? It only cost me $30,000,015.00 last night.
You have that kind of chump change?
1) give it to me
2) then tell me to take a nap.
I will.
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