Faux-Workaholism

This week I've been really struggling with faux-workaholism. I think that is a term I made up, but nonetheless, it best describes what's going on.

Definition: Goofing off while sitting at your desk, just because you feel like you should be at your desk during business hours.

So here's what 'faux-workaholism' is for me. I glance at my long to-do list, scan all the items, and ignore it. Instead, I fill my 'work' hours with stuff that accomplishes nothing: Facebook, PInterest, playing games on my iPhone, more Facebook, more Pinterest... well, you get the picture. I don't feel guilty about doing all these things because somehow the fact that I'm sitting at my desk/computer makes it seem like I'm still working.

The thing that is ridiculous about my behavior is that I truly dislike sitting at my computer all day. As I'm writing this, I am shaking my head because *I know* that one of the basic advantages of owning your own business should be that you aren't chained to your desk all day. Any past photographers that we've mentored will tell you that's something we preach.

I'm not the only one. My officemate/business partner/soulmate/husband Luke also struggles with this. He's suffering from faux-workaholism much more than I am, in fact. He piddles around on YouTube for a few hours, and then ends up having to be at his desk paying bills at 7 PM because there weren't enough hours in the day to get it done.

The question I ask myself is this: even if I'm accomplishing very little, even if I'm being the complete opposite of productive, why do I still feel like I have to be at my computer? If I'm going to accomplish nothing, why wouldn't I move to the couch and catch up on Law & Order SVU?

I think this is a holdover feeling from my years of working for other people. Now that I'm my own boss, I forget that I don't *have* to sit at my desk just because it is somewhere between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM.

Looking forward to next week, I'm going to do my absolute best to spend the time I'm at my computer and desk actually doing the work that I need to accomplish that day. Hopefully by doing this I'll be able to spend LESS time in the office, and spend more time doing the things I want to do. Imagine how exciting it would be to walk out of the office and close the door at 2 PM!

I'm reminded of this quote that is all over Pinterest from Lara Casey. If you don't know who Lara is, she is the founder/editor of Southern Weddings Magazine which I believe is the best magazine available to those of us lucky enough to be from the South. (Y'all know we are lucky, right?) She recently started selling these beautiful letterpress gold foil versions of some of her handwritten mantras. Here's a reminder from her shop!

Here's 3 things I *want* to do next week. These are much different from my to do list.

1) Catch up on Downton Abbey. I haven't watched the last 3 episodes. I know the ending is a tearjerker because so many people posted about it on Facebook, but I still want to see for myself.

2) Make Banana Bread. I have had intentions of making homemade banana bread for three weeks now. Two trips to the grocery store, two bunches of rotten bananas and two small cartons of expired buttermilk later, I'm back to square one and there's still no banana bread. Next week... it's on.

3) Read the book of Acts with Luke. It's next on our reading list as we work our way through the New Testament this year. I'm inspired by my friend Kristin's instagram hashtag #lampandlight and I can't wait to dive in.