I went Christmas shopping yesterday. There were no crowds, there were no lines. I was able to accomplish what I needed to in less than an hour. I wish I could say I was surprised by the lack of holiday shoppers but I was not. I am not worried for the economy, I think people are spending, they just are doing less of it in stores and more of it online. When I break it down, it is safe to say that I am doing about 10% of my shopping online. I still have a need to see first-hand what I buy.

On the other hand, my 21 year old daughter did all of her shopping online. It may just be the difference in our generations or even our varying levels of interest in braving holiday crowds. I enjoy shopping in the stores, it is part of what gets me in the spirit, I can't rely on the weather, as it was 78* yesterday with full sun, and of the few shoppers out, some were wearing flip-flops. Not exactly what is typically thought of as Christmas Wear.

Technology can make our lives easier, if we let it, if we use it correctly and/or don't rely too heavily on it. Ask anyone who has had to try and work during a power outage. When my company moved just under a year ago, we suffered several outages to internet and/or phone connections. One would have thought my right hand had been cut off. I was immobilized. My job relies heavily on the internet, being able to send and receive emails, to take advantage of networks and online information. Work that didn't need to be accomplished online, needed to be accomplished by phone.


Playing hooky like it's a snow day from school just isn't my style. Digging for other work is, my desktop was very clean on those days and my drawers were cleaned out from top to bottom. Failing to take advantage of the work that lies before us, is failing at fulfillment of responsibility.

I purchased a book last year entitled, "It's Called Work For a Reason" by Larry Wright. There is a fine line between credit and blame, only I can take credit for my failure and blame for my success. I like this twist, when I think about how best I can achieve success. How easy it is to not see other duties or shirk responsibilities when the main ones are diverted due to technical issues or the shifting of gears. It's all about seeing the big picture from your desk. Sometimes, you just gotta open your eyes.

"There is no excuse for not doing well." - Larry Wright