I imagine it is the classic writer’s dilemma—what exactly constitutes “real” work and what doesn’t? I suppose I’m being rather provincial when I say this is a writer’s dilemma—in fact, it is likely something that many people wonder over—does “thinking” count as real work or is it only the activities one does that result in payment and revenue that count as “work” in our businesses?
When friends ask me “What did you do today?” or ask about what I’ve been working on, I’m never quite sure how to describe my work or how I organize my day. Some of it is really obvious—I sit down at the computer and write up pieces, submit, edit, etc. Or, I may spend some time working on queries, looking for work and projects, or processing invoices. But, how can I explain that the walk I took down to the river with my notebook in hand to work on a writing project—trying to absorb the sights, sounds, and smells of a muddy spring river bank for the piece—constitutes working too? Especially, when I’ve spent the last couple years trying to convince people that I am, in fact, working here and not living a life of poetic leisure…
Does thinking, planning, sketching, outlining all constitute real work? Well, I like to think this is true. But if this is true, then if I spend too much time on these parts of projects, I may not be taking care of the bottom line and doing the active work to generate income. To put it in the context of another type of business, organizing inventory may be important, but unless a person gets out there and makes those sales, all you have is inventory sitting prettily and neatly on shelves.
I guess it all comes down to balance—balancing out the various types and versions of work—those that I enjoy and feel spiritually fed by, and those that actually feed my family. I’m open to suggestions though—do you have an opinion? Does thinking constitute “real work?”
See Also: Where Do You Want to Take Your Business? and A Home Business Challenge Question–Do You Spend More Time Working or Searching?