Adam Wells: “Just how work hungry are you?”

Are you hungry?

I’m starving. See you for lunch in a month.

Let me ask you something, especially you who have children. If you or, especially your children, started a sentence with, “I’m starving…” what would you do? Get food, right? But when?

Now…or in a month?

Well, in Australia as the days roll into weeks and months a couple of things never seem to change as we enter the latter part of the calendar year. One is that we lament on what a tough year it was and two, on what a tough year it’s going to be next year.

But then the January effect kicks in.

Think back to December. Remember those conversations? Tough year. Next year looking tough. People winding down for Christmas.

But, we are all hungry for work…right?

So the first week back is slow, what do you expect? It’s our first week back…unless you have kids in which case you probably don’t come back until the second week.

OK, now we’re all back and hungry…right?

Well…sort of. Even though it’s the second week in Jan it’s really only my first week back and so I’m a bit slow getting into it.

Then, just as I was really about to kick into gear, it was Australia Day and you know what that meant? A short week and well, you know how people are before a holiday. I mean just look at Christmas, people always wind down before Christmas. So…was there any real point in ramping up before Australia Day?

They say it’s wrong to stereotype – Italians are lazy? Greeks don’t pay taxes? Australians are hungry for business and go the extra mile to get it?

Then I had a thought – how about we all come back the Monday after Australia Day all refreshed and raring to go. This time it’s for real.

Thing is, as I sit here writing this on Monday 30 January 2012 I realised…this is my first day back.

Isn’t it?

Adam Wells is EP at Engine and seemingly the only person who came back to work on 3 January.