Time Bounds

I've been working really hard (long hours) in my job lately. I'm not afraid of working hard; in fact, it's something I do well. But I've come to learn that when working hard interferes with my personal life, I get very unhappy with the job. In fact, it almost caused me to leave the company more than once.

Lately, too many biz trips, late meetings and early starts, and weekend "just a few hours" have placed me in the position of being grumpy toward my job. I snapped at my boss last week. That's when I know I need to reassess and stake my claim over my life.

I really enjoy my work (educational writing), and I get intrinsic reward from it. At the same time, I'm long past my early days of career ambition. These days, I want to do a good job at work, but it's imperative that I have my work life contained in a manageable box that does not continually erode time away from the rest of my life.

My ability to hold true to this desire ebbs and flows, but as I mentioned, it's been on a downward spin lately. And so, today, I began to take back control. I had lunch with a girlfriend at the Chandler House Tea Room. We chatted about family, friends - and said almost nothing about work. It was fantastic and refreshing! And I came back to work and got a lot done. I'm a happier employee, which makes me a more productive employee. And here's the key point - it's up to me to protect my time. The company won't do that for me. Sounds easy, but it took me a loooong time to learn that lesson.