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Vayetze Hard Work Hard work really pays off in the end. After spending hours working on a project, upon its completion, I have a huge sense of accomplishment. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my work that I can be sitting at my desk writing (a Dvar Torah perhaps) and look up and two hours have passed. Hours can seem like mere minutes when hard at work with a desired outcome waiting ahead. That same mentality is evident with Yaakov as he worked seven long years for Rachel as a wife, but it seemed to Yaakov as a few days. He had a goal that he was working towards and with his mind focused, time went by quickly. When we are able to rid ourselves of distractions and focus on our work, not only does the work take less time, but the time goes quicker. I spoke with a student this past year about his homework habits. When I asked him how long it took to do an assignment I had given, he told me, one hour. Having given the assignment, I knew that it should not take more than twenty minutes to complete. When I pressed the student about how he completed the assignment, he explained how after working for a couple of minutes he answered the telephone (a conversation that lasted for five minutes), then returned to work. After a few minutes his mother came home and asked him about his day and they talked (at least the mother talked, he explained) for about fifteen minutes or so. To make a long story short, over the course of one hour, twenty minutes of actual work took place and forty minutes of distraction surrounded. I sat with the student the next day and suggested that we work on the assignment together. We sat in my office (door closed to minimize distractions), where I allowed him to work independently. In fifteen minutes he was finished. It was one of the better assignments the young man completed. Minus the distractions, the time went quickly. Often I get complaints from parents that their children have too much homework. How much time is actually spent on the homework and how much time is deflecting the work? Yaakov did not complain when Lavan said he had to work seven years to marry Rachel. He worked towards his goal and time went quickly (it seemed but a few days). When he was tricked into marrying Leah and was told to work another seven years, he did not complain he again worked towards his goal. Distractions will always be around us. If we put ourselves in a place where there are the least distractions, we can devote our time, energy and spirit to completing our tasks the best way possible. AS A FAMILY: Pick a spot with the least distractions as the homework spot for the week Give it a try, if it works, make it the permanent spot.
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