While it seems glamorous to go across country for several days and speak at a major conference, the truth is that work just piles up for you back home while you’re gone. The days are long and you only get further behind each day. I am thankful for the great help of others on my work team while I was away, but that still doesn’t resolve the mass of emails that awaited me upon returning home.
It is, therefore, understandable that I didn’t really intend to party much while at the conference, even though each night saw a number of huge parties planned to which I was invited. Now, I’m not much of a party guy any time, but especially when feeling the need to get work done.
The final evening of the conference, though, I changed my mind at least for a couple of hours. The conference organizers booked Jon Bon Jovi and The Kings of Suburbia to perform at the closing party. I honestly thought I’d go, stay a little while, get some pictures and video to prove I was there, and then return to my room to get more work done (yes, I know – boring).
I stayed for the opening band, Morning Parade, for the way-too-long interval between bands, and then got the pictures and video I sought within the first 15 minutes of Bon Jovi performing. I considered leaving, but then thought, “Jeff, this is dumb. Work will still be there tomorrow while Bon Jovi and this whole scene will be long gone.” So I made the call to stay to the end and just enjoy.
I went back to the hotel afterward and stayed up late trying to get done most of what I had originally planned for the night. With the next day spent mostly in the air and at airports, even more work built up. Still, I’m glad I made the call I did. After all, a month or a year from now I won’t remember what work I would have done if I missed the concert. I will, however, remember the concert for many years to come.
Leap year lesson #240 is Sometimes it’s best to let work wait.
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