I’ve heard them referred to as “time vampires.” I like this description. Those people all around you who love to suck out all your productivity. They are your vendors, your unproductive clients, your neighbors, and even your friends and relatives.
You MUST beware. Be very aware. Because at any moment, one of them will latch on to your neck and not let go until you’ve realized that your day is gone, nothing got done, and you feel a little woozy.
This morning, it’s my heating and cooling company. They come by twice per year to check the system and ensure it is functioning properly.
I talked to the guy who comes two weeks ago. He had called my home office by mistake (see what I mean, he has the wrong number on file) and wanted to come by “this afternoon” and check the system. This is exactly how these time vampires operate. They don’t manage their time well and expect that everyone else is living just the way they do. It never occurs to them that you might actually have your entire week’s schedule and maybe even next week’s mapped out in advance…
I informed him that no one would be at the studio and that he should follow-up with my studio coordinator to set a day and time. Of course, he hung up the phone and waited another two weeks to call. Pitiful!
Ridiculous and grounds for dismissal at this point. I don’t take any sh… from vendors any more. From anyone for that matter. I don’t waste time. I don’t have that luxury.
So, as you move through your day today, watch yourself. These vampires aren’t so sensitive to light like the usual kind. Heck, they’re not sensitive to anything or anyone. They have only one mission in life. And that mission is still a little unclear to me…