I
make it a rule to clear my desk every day, before leaving my office,
of all correspondence and memoranda, so that on the morrow I can begin
a _new_ day of work. I make it a rule never to let my work drive me,
but to so master it, and keep it in such complete control, and to keep
so far ahead of it, that I will be the master instead of the servant.
There is a physical and mental and spiritual enjoyment that comes from
a consciousness of being the absolute master of one's work, in all its
details, that is very satisfactory and inspiring. My experience
teachers me that, if one learns to follow this plan, he gets a
freshness of body and vigour of mind out of work that goes a long way
toward keeping him strong and healthy. I believe that when one can
grow to the point where he loves his work, this gives him a kind of
strength that is most valuable.
When I begin my work in the morning, I expect to have a successful
and pleasant day of it, but at the same time I prepare myself for
unpleasant and unexpected hard places. I prepared myself to hear that
one of our school buildings is on fire, or has burned, or that some
disagreeable accident has occurred, or that some one has abused me in
a public address or printed article, for something that I have done or
omitted to do, or for something that he had heard that I had said --
probably something that I had never thought of saying.
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