Sizzling or Fizzling Summer Motivation?

Getting motivated to work this time of year, in the middle of the summer and hot sunny weather, can be difficult. It seems that everyone I talk to either has had weeks and weeks of time off or has had no time off at all, one extreme or the other.

The phrase “of his own volition” has come up quite a bit in my network circles this summer, meaning that some people are motivated to get things done and make the most of a busy economy, making hay while the sun shines, while others are not. We’re finally coming out of a tough recession, and while our American friends may still face some difficult days ahead, we Westerners seem to be pretty pumped about getting busy and making some dough now that the stars are aligning for us.

Those who have had the pleasure of taking many weeks of vacation time off this year to relax, I am jealous of! But at the same time, I’ve watched many people work harder this summer than any summer before, maybe to make up for the financial difficulties of the past couple years. There certainly appears to be no middle ground, no perfect eight hours per day, Monday to Friday, with a one hour lunch and two 15 minute coffee breaks, and a relaxing two week vacation. Instead, there is work to do and many people are motivated to get it done, choosing the option to start early and stay late, of their own free will, to feel like they are accomplishing something in 2011, while the summer is whizzing by quickly. Of course, there are teachers and related educational people who take the summers off, and there are seasonal workers who take the winters off, but most employees are working through this summer with no real break in sight!

Very strange summer we are having here in Alberta, very busy or very lazy, super pumped or super tired, not a minute to breathe or days filled with naps and long walks! I think both roads are awesome, because overall, our employee pool is happy, motivated, and positive about our province’s future. We do need to be thankful for living in our province, where we have the freedom to choose to work, play, travel, spend, save, or bounce back from anything thrown at us!

Phew, Stampede is over!

It’s a good thing Stampede only last ten days. Didn’t I begin Stampede with a yahoo? Well, that was a long ten days ago and I’m happy to see it come to an end for another year.

There are many great things about Stampede, the yummy food, fun games and rides, watching the brave cowboys ride bulls at the rodeo, all the amazing concerts, and the great tourists who come to our city to experience Stampede, even royalty! But, everyday for ten days straight is enough for another year. We could not live like this every single day, with the lack of sleep and sometimes memory, long line ups, big crowds, heavy traffic, high costs, the apologies, and little productivity at work for the non-hospitality employed.

I think we all need to follow Stampede with a sleep in day, where we can laze around in our pjs, have coffee in bed, flick channels, and recover from having no voice left. It’s kind of sad, when the high is done, family and friends leave town, and the free breakfasts are finished. We get back into our normal routine, up early, and dressed professionally (no more cowboy boots). We will try to remember everyone we met, looking through business cards and sending out follow up emails and texts. We’ll hit the gym to try and work off all the beer and mini donuts we’ve consumed, and start cleaning up whatever other messes we created during Stampede Week, so we can get back to the way things were before Stampede took over our lives.

Thank goodness we don’t live the Stampede life every day, but boy is it fun, and so great for our city. Stampede puts us on the map and visitors love and remember it for life. I think we made some money for our city this year, and we needed that boost!

Perhaps we should start planning for next year’s Stampede, booking days off to enjoy the festivities and figuring out how to pace ourselves more effectively so we do not get as burnt out. Ah, I think I said that at the end of Stampede last year but then I forgot, and got wrapped up in the day to day crazy fun once again. Until next year!

When Stampede rolls into town, where do everyones manners go?

Has anyone noticed that respect takes on a whole new form during Stampede Week in Calgary? As Canadians, we are conditioned to be considerate of personal space, to respect our workplace, and are born with innate kindness, most of the time. But for some reason, when along comes Stampede, all respect of all kind seems to go straight out the window. Sure, the majority of people are trying to be patient during traffic jams, long lineups, big crowds, and when waiting for absolutely everything, but trying to work or get anything normal done during Stampede seems nearly impossible.

Some years I think of leaving town, to create some personal space for myself during this time of year, but then I think I might miss a great concert or party. I like to think of Stampede Week as unpredictable but expected. We know we won’t get much work done; we know we will fight with our parking guards; and we know that half the city will call in “sick” at some point over these ten days. We know that we will meet new and existing clients on patios, at functions, and walking down the street. We know we will eat too many carbs and fried foods, drink too much alcohol, and spend too much money. We also know that the entertainment will be fabulous; we will have more fun than we can normally handle; and will get almost nothing accomplished at work.

There are some important things to keep in mind as you enjoy the Stampede festivities. One, don’t bite the hand that feeds you (i.e. respect your boss and your co-workers)! Two, this is not the week to quit your job or line up a job interview, because things may look different next week. Three, if you have a work commitment, keep it; everyone knows that Stampede is here, so book the time off if you need it. Four, remember your vows, if you’ve taken any with your significant other, because one week of this much fun is not worth a lifetime of payback. For some reason, people tend to appear much better looking during Stampede (especially if you’ve been spending too much time in the beer tent)! But next week, everyone goes back to how they normally look, act, and are. Lastly, don’t push boundaries this week; respect personal space, work space, and traffic space! And if your space is being pushed in any way, just smile, breathe, and relax. Stampede only lasts 10 days, so we should all be able to survive it! Happy Stampeding everyone!