Metallica is one of the biggest bands in the world. It took them nearly a year and a half to record their most critically and commercially successful album, Metallica (The Black Album). That’s a long time to record an album, and shows a certain dedication to the process. Some might even describe it as overly obsessive, showing an unhealthy fixation that borders on compulsion. Regardless of the process, the album went multitimes platinum and sold millions of copies. You can’t mess with the results.
That’s why it’s interesting that Metallica’s most critically panned album, St. Anger, was the result of a very different process. James Hetfield, the lead singer of the band, was returning to the band after a six month hiatus for a number of reasons. (The amazing documentary Some Kind of Monster details this time period!) James returned with a specific rule that the band needed to abide by in order to complete the recording process. He was only able to work for four hours a day, from noon to 4pm. The rest of his day was dedicated to family.
This rule caused quite a few arguments, as evidenced in the documentary. It’s a rule, however, that is focused on mental health, well-being, and family. You can’t give your best when you are burned out. You can’t give your best when your focus is elsewhere. You have to recognize what’s more important.
One of the most heartwarming and telling scenes in the film is when James, lead singer of one of the loudest and heaviest bands of all time, sitting in a ballet studio watching his young daughter dance, and then run up to give him a hug. After all, it’s about priorities.
We would all do better to establish our own noon to four mentality. Not to say that we can only dedicate four hours to certain goals, but rather that we abide by rules that help us to focus on priorities. Determine what’s important. Give it all your focus, and limit all of that other nonsense that takes up your time.
As educators, we are striving to find balance on a consistent basis. I’m here to remind you that there are other things in life that are as important. Someone can be the lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands in the world and a father. It’s the same with being an educator. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.
Make sure you take care of you first and then everything else that’s important.
Discover your own noon to four.
Rich