I wish I would have spent more time at the office!

You’ve probably heard the old saying by Rabbi Harold Kushner…Nobody on their deathbed has ever said “I wish I had spent more time at the office.” My father recently passed away so I’ve been thinking a lot about his legacy and how he lived his life. One thing that has bubbled up is that although no one might say they wish they had spent more time at the office, they might say, “I wish I would have spent my time at work differently.”

My dad, Bob, was a man of words and worked in sales, sales management and leadership in the food industry for the better part of his career. He was full of ideas for how to improve work and sometimes got in trouble because he spoke up when others might not have.

He took pride in his contributions and worked as a volunteer for SCORE (helping small business owners grow their business) in his retirement. From my perspective as his daughter, I think he would have called himself a Chief Paradise Officer.

I hope that today, you will think about what you would say about your job on your deathbed.

We spend more time working than we do anything else (expect for sleeping). Shouldn’t we feel good about what we are doing and how we are doing it? What’s the point if you go to work and complain every day? What’s the point if you toss and turn on Sunday night because work is on your mind?

What can you do today to make things better so that on your deathbed, you can truly say, “I created my own Professional Paradise during?” I don’t mean starting your own business – I mean looking at what makes you satisfied, energized & productive and connecting with that to become a Chief Paradise Officer – no matter what is happening around you.

And, if you’re thinking, “Sure Vicki, that’s easy for you to say – you are your own boss,” think again. You all are my bosses. I’m here to work in service to you. So every day when I come to work I am the role model for Chief Paradise Officers around the globe. It’s not always easy, but I work at it and hopefully I’m hitting the mark.

I can honestly say that on my deathbed (and I hope that doesn’t happen for a long, long time), I might just say, “I loved the time I spent in my office”…will you?