Squeeze It
Due to bad planning, I had to take a day off work to squeeze in a studying session for my license broker exam next week.
That meant, compressing the 5-day work week into 4 which means working OT …pretty much every day.
While that put a lot of pressure in my schedule and mental capacity (to work efficiently), one thing became clear to me – DEADLINES work. *side note: deadlines also apply to your existence, this [article + calculator] makes that point
I set up very tight deadlines for myself to meet this week – and I met them.
Now the question is: was I able to produce high-quality work despite the pressure I’m going through?
Probably not. I’d say “good enough” at best.
Most people (including myself) burn out when put under consistent pressure.
But on the opposite side of the scale, I also think that constant exposure can strengthen your ability to deal with it.
Here’s a list of things I did this week:
- Finished reading and assessing 2 low profile projects in a week – no shortcuts.
- All that while providing support for 2 high-profile projects.
- Provided a quick and rough training to the company’s Technical Leads.
- Set-up the bed for my in-laws.
- Worked on a personal project for Alexis.
- Studied insurance for about 17-hours.
Please note this list doesn’t include all the regular stuff you do at home – dishes + prep lunch + pick-up dinner.
Also, note that I’m not bitching here. The point is, it’s surprising how much you can do if you’re put under pressure.
Kudos to all the parents out there who manage to deal with kids + work + house duties. What I’m going through now could be considered as “training” – juggling 10 different things at the same time.
Another idea that popped up from this (since I managed to fit my work week into 4 days) is to work OT for 4 days so I can take the Friday off to chill out.
But before I go that route, I have to remind myself that getting exhausted to do more only reduces the quality of the work you produce.
Overworked
Salute to my colleagues who work ’til 8 pm. They are what I would consider dedicated to accomplishing the task they’re assigned to do.
BUT I don’t see myself doing that as I see work as PART of life, not THE life.
People in the older generation are wired with the mentality of working hard as fuck. There’s nothing wrong with that at all as long as you’re not hurting yourself (mentally + physically + emotionally) in the process.
“Work hard” is obviously a critical element of Productivity but it’s also critical to step back and ask…
“Does this make sense?”
A colleague was so exhausted that he also wanted to join me with selling insurance – which SEEMS like it’s an easier route to make money.
Now, if he is going through that kind of stress to think about leaving his current job for something else, I’m sure there’s a shitload of people out there who are going through the same thing.
I’m a [big fan of quitting] something that does not make sense me – but quitting is my LAST resort – when all the other options I considered didn’t change anything.
I remember that time when one of my managers (from this previous company I used to work for) asked me last minute to come in on a Saturday to do some tool inspection:
New Manager: We have a tool that needs to be inspected this weekend. Can you come in tomorrow to do it?
Me: No *I responded in a split-second as if I was on “auto-reply”
New Manager: I’m sorry?
Me: Oh I have plans for tomorrow I can’t come in (I lied I don’t have plans). Why don’t you ask the others? They love to work OT hours anyway.
He was surprised by my response. I assume he’s not used to hearing the word “no”. What he does not realize is that I don’t really care that much about losing my job. But he cared a lot about his job (his new, needed to make a good impression to his higher-ups right?). *[side note] it’s amazing how much power you have for not giving a shit
Another instance of this was when another one of those company managers left a voicemail to ask me to come in on a weekend.
I didn’t go. Did not bother calling back. I was so unhappy in that company that I was pushing them to fire me. Why? My pay is super cheap, soooo cheap it’s insulting.
But I agreed to it anyway so it was really my fault to begin with LOL.
Most people don’t really give a shit about other people – they just care about me me me – without realizing how the other person matters too regardless of their position.
That includes people who always feel “victimized” – as if other people are always trying to take advantage of them or screw them over.
Respect/Understanding/Needs..whatever it is..it always goes both ways 😉
High Performer
I have been exhausted lately that I needed help to increase my productivity.
So I purchased another coaching program [Top Performer].
Online Coaching Programs are what I consider an investment. Already reaped the rewards from [Success Triggers] and still continue to get rewarded from it.
My performance rating last year was “High Performer” *high five*
Will it continue to be that way?
It depends. If I keep doing what I’m doing then the answer is “No”. If I do more then maybe, just maybe, there’s a higher chance to turn into “Yes”.
Most people mistake “Hard Work” is only driven by the quantity of your output when in reality, it includes everything else: responsibility + quality + value + teamwork.
“Hard Work” includes the emotional-labor to deal with bullshit, handling pressure, solving problems and all other types of work that is BEYOND your regular task.
If you think a robot can do your job, then what value do you bring to the table?
A Year Ago This Week
I…
- relearned the danger of wrong assumptions
- was reminded of the value of teamwork
- looked for other ways to improve myself…
[Read more about it here]
Goal Update
Insurance Brokerage License Prep
More studying needs to be done before the exam date.
Health
I lost weight. Is it safe to assume that time-restricted eating works for losing weight?
Maybe. But I’m more into consuming healthier food for my body as opposed to losing weight.
Finance
My business isn’t officially closed. I had to file taxes regarding the fair market value of the business. How do you do that? I have no idea. I’ll deal with it later. One at a time.
