Productive Suzie

Sitting in front of a computer 8 hours a day, everyday could make anyone a little unenthusiastic. With the world happening out ‘there’ while we’re stuck in ‘here’ it’s no wonder we reflect on what we could be, if we only applied ourselves…a little more. Dreams of traveling the world, hobnobbing with celebrities and eating the finest delicacy sweep into our mind. Why can’t we have that life? Of course you can. So why then are most of us dreamers instead of doers? Why can’t we find the motivation to break the routine chain of office life and live the way we want? The answer is pretty easy because we’re scared. It’s not a bad thing to be comfortable (I’m one to talk) in our routine. Some people don’t like change but for those of us who just need a little push I’d like to introduce a great movie that I’ve recently (if 4 months ago counts as recent) seen and a witty novel (again read this a year or more ago) that might just do the trick.

Man on Wire:
This is an inspirational documentary about French tightrope walker Philippe Petit and his daring high-wire routine across the newly built World Trade Center twin towers in 1974. I was lucky enough to attend one of the first screenings in London followed by a Q&A with Philippe and the director. After the viewing I felt like I could conquer anything. When my boyfriend and I returned home, my boyfriend who had been neglecting the gym and feeling guilty about it for a week decided that right then and there he was going to change that…he went for a run, a long one.

Then We Came to an End:
Fine this book might not motivate you to drastically change your life, but its witty collective narrative presented in the ‘we’ format simulates the boredom that’s often present in the workforce. And ponders the question: Is there life after the ‘office’? You can read an excerpt here. After reading this book I actually started to enjoy my office life and paid more attention to the idiosyncrasies that made ours different.

What helps motivate you?