Page 43 - April 2021 Barbecue News Digital

bbq travels
Tired
Vic Clevenger
Chimney Cartel
victor0568@gmail.com
I like to sleep just like a bunch of y’all. I think I like it because there isn’t enough to go around for me. I think other people are stealing my allotted sleep amount. There was a weekend a couple years ago whe I was to be in California. At the same time, I was supposed to be in Tennessee and was asked to cook in a BBQ com- petition in Eustis, FL. That’s right I was supposed to be in 3 sepa- rate states all in the same weekend. Can you say, “Calendar issues?” I was actually told I have a tendency to over extend my- self. If you mean by that I have more to do in a day than there are hours, then I’d say you are correct.
There are 168 hours in a week and everyone gets the same amount. So why do some people seem more rested as well as have their ‘to do’ lists complete as well as showered with teeth brushed and everything? I’m convinced they get extra hours in their weeks and I’m stuck with the lousy old fashioned 168 hours just like the old days. OK, maybe they are just better at managing the time they are given and I’m just tired.
Time management is key to get your tasks accomplished but there’s a competition on what receives our attention. Of course there’s social media we need to check every few minutes. What if someone posts a cat video or hilarious meme while we are getting stuff done and we miss it. Then everyone in our half dozen group chats are talking about it and now I feel all alone like I’m not a cool kid anymore. I want to be a cool kid. We, however, can’t lay it all on social media some of it lands in front of our TVs. Maybe we sat too close as kids and instead of it hurting our eyes like our mothers told us, it just hypnotized us drawing us in like a cult, the TV Cult. All I know is I’ve fallen asleep in front of both on more than one occasion because I’ve just been tired.
Every Sunday I sit down to compile my list of what needs to be ac- complished. I write them down because if I don’t many will be for- gotten. I have items as simple as write a joke (you’d think as a comedian it would be a given, not for me) and as complex as work on my new website. This is complex for me because I have to de- fine what I am, what is it I do (speaker, comedian, writer, pit mas- ter). Then as I sit back looking forward to striking a black line through each one, I’m reminded of what I failed to complete last week and have to carry over. Then there’s the extra items which get added or requests from family members I allow to take prior- ity over what’s on my list. Boy, am I tired.
It’s now a new week with a new list and new intentions to accom- plish my goal. The ‘how to’ is going to be difficult to execute but
I’ve got a plan. First, I’m going to have better time management. Second, I’m going to have the discipline to get it done (discipline is just a stronger more positive way of saying, “stop being lazy”). Third, I will prioritize what I need to accomplish and stop allow- ing others to do that for me. Then maybe I’ll get the right amount of sleep so I’m no as tired all the time.
But right now I’m going to bed because, well, I’m tired.
APRIL 2021
BarbecueNews.com - 43