Taking What You Give

How much longer can we keep up this unrelenting pace?

I was meeting with the director last Friday reviewing the current status of actions - discipline, hiring, union activity etc and talked about the volume. He commented that the issues we have are not that bad and I agree. It is not the complexity of issues, it is the non-stop, revolving door, no end in sight level of work. It is the day to day grind that leaves no time for reflective thought or future planning. It is this level and volume that takes everything out of you - out of me.

Or does it? Does it take everything or does it take everything I am willing to give? The volume is there and that's a given but no one is telling me to skip the gym. To not take more time off. To bring work home with me (although it very rarely leaves the car). To check the Blackberry periodically over the weekend. 

One thing you can take to the bank is if I give it,  the organization will take it. But to what end? And at what costs?

So, the lines are blurred for me right now. Where do the necessary demands of the job end and my willingness to give so much of my time start?

Update on May 30, 2007 by Lisa Rosendahl

A very timely follow up from Brazen Careerist. 

My favorite bullet is the last, Be Brave.

Be brave. Brave people can say no when someone is pushing hard, and brave people can go home when other people are working late. The bravery comes from trusting yourself to find the most important work and to do it better than anyone else. But sometimes, the bravest thing to do is leave.

Comments

[deb]

wow. sometimes i think you and i are exactly in the same place.

i began asking these questions almost a year ago. i came up with some answers too. it took another few months after that to take action.

i'll be interested to see where your journey takes you.
all the best!
deb