What We Expect
Words I have heard this week:
“I’m so behind …”
“I should have …”
“I can’t keep up …”
“I’m tired!”
Expectations around productivity are responsible for a lot of how we feel about our work. There is usually more to do than there are resources available, whether it be time, people, money or something else.
Some of these expectations come from elsewhere - our overall workplace culture, or specifically from our boss, colleagues, or customers. The message is consistently driving us to do, do, do. Given that there is always something to do, no wonder we feel tired and behind.
Some of these expectations also come from within. We pile a lot of shoulds upon ourselves every day, week, month, year. We can suffer from the super-human fallacy that thinks we can do it all (yesterday). We can add perfectionism and striving to the mix and feel like a constant failure.
For many of us, our work doesn’t fit nicely within a little box. We can’t draw a line through it upon completion and leave it behind. There’s always something to think about and do.
When we start to hear the words above, and similar, we need to be ready to draw our own line in the sand. Step back, rest, reflect, delegate, outsource, and if we must do, do something different (preferably fun!).
It’s the end of the working week, and I’m curious, what words are you hearing and saying about the week that was?