Stop working!

I’m in Omaha with the in-laws, so I figure I’d try to clear out my email backlog while everyone else is asleep or on holiday. I can’t believe the number of replies I’m getting from Googlers! It’s Christmas Eve, for heavens sake–stop working, everyone, so that I can get some work done! πŸ˜‰ I can just imagine Santa dropping down a chimney to find yet another Googler trying to finish off just one more email or review.

This reminds me a lot of Google’s annual ski trip. Like four years ago, a co-worker stayed back at the GooglePlex and she said she got a ton of work done. So three years ago, I stayed back and got a fair amount of work done. Then two years ago, it seemed like several colleagues stayed back at the ‘plex. I didn’t get to go skiing, and my email load stayed the same. Last year, I tried being cunning and acting like I was going to go skiing and tried to get everyone else to go on the trip, then I bailed at the very last minute. My ploy didn’t work, because several people I know did the same thing.

All my past game theory plans have failed, so I give up. This year I’m skiing again.

29 Responses to Stop working! (Leave a comment)

  1. Hi Matt

    “This year I’m skiing again”

    Thats a risky business, Matt. Last time I heard one of my friend saying the same. I met him a week later with a broken arm.

    I.e its less risky to keep working πŸ™‚

  2. I’ve been working on Christmas Eve as well. I did some work for you guys earlier and now I’m care of some personal business by backing up the family mail server. I’ll try to sneak in a little work tomorrow, between opening presents and family dinner. Have a great holiday! Andrew

  3. Hi Matt

    Btw, you should have seen what that lovely cat of yours is doing while you are at Omaha πŸ™‚

  4. Some peoples (like me) just don’t accept any common holidays. I prefer any random day I feel more happy than usual rather than fixed dates.

    Happy holidays to any different peoples!

  5. And nothing was stirring not even a mouse . . . .

    So I had to use a trackpad insted. I wish the logitech mice wouldn’t keep breaking every year on Christmas πŸ™‚

  6. Matt if you go ski-ing becarefull this doesn’t happen πŸ˜›

    http://www.quacked.co.uk/lucky-skier.html

  7. I worked yesterday too. And I haven’t gotten this much stuff accomplished in months, if not years. It was unreal.

    I’m now convinced that if the world just took holidays 365 days a year, we’d be more productive.

  8. Happy Christmas, Mr Cutts

  9. Just like seo black & white I like to take a day off when I feel to… For example, I’m working at xmas day, but last monday I’ve got the day out to go pass the day with my girlfriend. Also, It’s easier to work in these days, everyone is at home with the family… And, what a nice xmas present, I have another website to make, so I guess people work when they feel they need to.

    Happy holidays Matt!

  10. Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

  11. “There’s less traffic on the extra mile.”
    Christmas day is quiet and is a great time to get stuff done.

    Happy holidays.

  12. Merry Christmas to Matt and the rest of you great search blog people!
    I’m just glad you have not (yet?) been enlisted by the wife’s folks to fix the old, adware infected, virus crippled, memory deficient Windoze box that’s been “acting up lately”.

  13. Enjoy your break Matt. See if you can go 24 hours without looking at a sceen.

    Take care

    Steve

  14. Hey Matt! Merry X-mas Happy Holidays!! πŸ™‚

    I can’t help it I’m a work aholic!

    I have been following your blog for quite some time, and take what you say as google gospel!

    I have been unable to find anyway to contact you, and I’m sure there’s a very good reason for that!

    I figured since it’s christmas maybe you’d possibly considering contacting me in reply to this post. As you have mentioned you enjoy speaking with people about their experiences and what think is good seo and not.

    I have a non spam website that I have in order to making a living from. I am extremely well indexed in the other so called engines, but this does me no good as Google is “it” πŸ™‚

    Unfortunately it seems google absolutely hates and despises my site. The site will not come up anywhere in results for many keyword variations, I have even had numerous people look at the site and try to figure why on earth google doesn’t like it, and there has been no answer, it seems to be heavily penalized for something

    I’m not an seo guy, but my income and ability to put food on the table does depend on my one site. Google seems not to be counting many of my bl’s etc. Site is over a year old.

    I would greatly appreciate if there is anyway you’d consider sending me an email to find out the url, which I won’t post here out of respect. It’s really puzzled quite a few people. In order to post this comment it asks for my email so i assume you’ll be able to see it.

    Thank you so much, and Happy Holidays!

  15. Google is great and all, but it’s not the most important thing in the world. Take it easy, relax, the work will still be there when you get back.

  16. Fritz

    “Google is great and all, but it’s not the most important thing in the world.”

    For my site, Google is the most important thing in the world πŸ™‚

  17. “This year I’m skiing again”
    You are going to have to try harder than that if you want Game theory to work πŸ˜‰

    It’s hard working when family is around. I’ve had my entire family over here, and they can’t understand how I work all night until sunrise, while they sleep, but it’s the only way I can get some work done.

  18. Scott, the comments are the best way to get ahold of matt.

    If you’ve posted before, just post again with a different name an email and put *** Hey MeatHead, Don’t approve this post *** in the top. (Matt likes to be called a meathead… seriously try it and see)

    / πŸ™‚ Just kidding Matt, Merry Xmas.

  19. Ryan

    “Matt likes to be called a meathead..”

    Not true. In his latest interview with CNN, Matt mentioned that he like to be called Inigo πŸ™‚

  20. Bad omen, Matt, this quote came from my Gmail account:

    Dave Barry – “Skiing combines outdoor fun with knocking down trees with your face.”

  21. I will take your place skiing if it would help!

  22. Why didn’t you come and visit me in the middle of nowhere Nebraska? Geez! I see how you are. Just wondering if the in-laws turned you into a Husker fan yet. Even if you/they aren’t into football – if you go to a game in Lincoln you instantly will be. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and prepare for an awsome new year! Take care.

  23. Are you REALLY going on the ski trip or is this a well-created ploy to get work done. πŸ˜‰

  24. speaking of Nebraska… Go Blue!

  25. Go big RED! Game is on tonight! We will kick some Blue Butt!

  26. Worst Officiating ever. If you don’t call a penalty with 40 guys on the field, what do you call?

    Not that we played better than Nebraska, we didn’t.. but still.

  27. “Worst Officiating ever. If you don’t call a penalty with 40 guys on the field, what do you call?”

    Bad thing is that the penalty would be offset because M had about 10 players on the field also. My complaint would be the pass interference that was NOT called on the last play for MI. That was the main game buster. But on the other hand there was plenty of bad calls on both sides. Another thing I hated was how long it was taking for reviews in which MI had to waste timeouts. I enjoy winning but it has to be an honest win. Timouts are such a necessity.

    So although the win…I was kinda disappointed.

  28. lol, it must be funny to go for skiing with the complete team no ?

  29. You should come in Romania to ski in Poiana Brasov. If you have some Romanian friends ask them: they’ll tell you it’s the most beautiful place on earth. But now it’s kinda summer :D.
    Take care…

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