23rd Apr 2008
Why I Haven’t Been Posting Lately
Lately, I’ve been crazy busy at work. Busy, as in barely having time to chow down food. Busy as in, I used to email Ms T at least 5-6 times per day–now, I’m lucky if I can rattle off one email midmorning. Busy as in, when my hubby IM’s me to ask what to take out of the freezer for dinner, I feel like hurling my computer at a wall because IM slows my computer down and I just lost ten seconds, damnit!
The upshot of all this is that I feel a mental fatigue that makes me not feel quite up to spending half an hour or so writing something to post on my blog or this one (God, my blog, I haven’t posted there since December. Oy.) On the other hand, I am more happy at work than I’ve been for two years. Finally, my talents are put to use, and I am kicking ass at it. Rather than sitting around pretending to work and emailing Ms T 5-600 times per day, I am being challenged, and I am needed, and I am helpful.
I have developed a few habits to make room for “me” at work; to force a slowdown, and make it so I’m not ready to collapse by the time I get home to hubby and his thawed out chicken.
1. I take a lunch. Even if it is only 15 minutes, I stop all work and eat. I bring a book to work so I don’t surf the internet. Also when you are reading a book, people hesitate to bother you. If you are just surfing the web, they think you’re working. I ignore all IM’s and phone calls–they can wait.
And no, I don’t leave my desk. I know, I know, that’s a bad thing, but I have my reasons. One of which is an aversion to our cafeteria, and another is an aversion to the smokers who take over all outside seating areas. Whatever, it works for me.
2. I reserve time to just work. I block out that time on my Outlook calender and refuse to schedule meetings. Just knowing I will have an unmarred stretch of time to get things done is comforting.
3. I leave on time (or as close as possible.) Even if I still have work to do. Screw it. It’s not like I’m curing cancer or anything. They can wait (unless they really can’t. But I find that the mantra “Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part” comes in handy.)
4. I push back. When my manager tries to get me to agree to an unreasonable deadline, I tell him no. Now, I realize this isn’t always prudent. But if you get into the habit of saying yes, it’s almost impossible to go back.
5. I make sure my employees understand I expect the same from them–that they have a life, that they take a break, that their families come first. It’s amazing how much more productive they are (Sorry Ms T, but a manager really does see humans as production machines.)
The final part of my plan is that I need to start taking time for myself at home. Rather than just sitting around like a slug, waiting out that long stretch until bedtime, I can be doing something productive like writing blog posts, or giving myself a pedicure, or forcing hubby to vacuum. I’m still working on that part.
How about you? How do you make time for yourself at work?
*giggle* When I read this, ” … I get home to hubby and his thawed out chicken” my eyes saw, ” … I get home to hubby and his thawed out children.”
Sorry; off-topic, but I am in a goofy mood.
I block out time too, though I do it with a little post-it on my keyboard:
7-8 exercise
8-9 poetry/journal writing
9-12 Client A
12-1 Lunch
1-4 Client B
4-7 Client C
or some variation. I find that unless I have a clear idea of what I need to do written down….I do nothing.
Nice post, and see how you are modeling appropriate behavior for those you supervise? It is really a superb strategy for just about any management (children, adults, rodents). And there’s no way you emailed me 600 times in one day.
LOL, Hafidha.
I’m pretty sure it was close to 600 sometimes, Ms T.
I need to make time to exercise, if only I could get up the energy.
My parents sent us14 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. For the first time in my life, I think I actually have butt spread.
GG - oh my god, you have to give those GS cookies AWAY! Take them to work, and leave them there, or give them to your kids (if u have any, that is) to take to school, or to the hubby to take to wherever he goes, meetings, etc. Ack! I once ate two boxes of trefoils in two days. And I didn’t even like them that much.
First of all, GS cookies are NOM! Send them to me!
Second, I make time for me at work when things are really busy by doing some of the things you mentioned, GhostGirl. I take 15 minutes for lunch, to actually eat. I can surf the web, but I have to eat and just read a couple of articles on a yoga website. Also, I’ve started closing my email “Notify” thing so it doesn’t contstantly distract me while I’m working. When things are busy, I also put my phone on “Do Not Disturb,” and all phone calls go straight to voicemail.
One more thing: I get my meetings and confabs out of the way in the morning, preferably before 10am. That gives me the rest of the day to just Get Stuff Done.