In the month of January, I thought I reached the limit of my capacity. Again. I returned to work from a week away from the "office" to all that awaits when you are off for a week. Days of non-stop meetings, and non-moving deadlines kept me moving from item to item wondering when I would run out of steam. This was a combination of professional deadlines and personal commitments. I really had that thought. "This is the limit of my capacity."
But I didn't. I thought for sure I wouldn't get it all done. But I did. This is the third time since last March that I was sure I couldn't handle anything more. But I did. Somehow I got it all done. Again. Guess what? In February, it happened again, going on right now. I've reached the limit of my capacity.
Once I prided myself on efficiency and productivity, even before hustle culture and the quantified self. What I have learned over the last year is that in uncertain situations, people err on the side of action. They add to-do items and new initiatives because doing something feels better than doing nothing. I added things to my own plate. Personal projects, family activities. Work is busy, of course, but I'm contributing, too. Ultimately, it will all get done. I'll just find new ways to do it.
We won't have research to prove what I am about to write for another decade, if research into mental health is still a thing when (if?) we escape today's reality. This emotional and productivity rollercoaster cannot be good for us. Just because it is possible doesn't mean it is okay. When I think about cutting things like the podcast, like my fiction writing, this very thing I'm writing at the moment, I think - Should I be forced to choose between personal satisfaction and work? The answer is to be determined. One way or another it will all get done.
I had the opportunity to talk to someone who is learning new ways to push strategy forward, which is saying something because she has already worked in such a diverse collection of organizations it boggles the mind. Valerie Nguyen possesses an incredible strategy mind but maybe more importantly, an adaptable mind. Here we discuss her ability to shift gears and take on wholly new approaches in her role as CSO at Decoded Advertising.
Valerie Nguyen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valnguyen/
Decoded Advertising: https://decodedadvertising.com/
Read this episode with your very own eyes in transcript form: http://adampierno.com/val-nguyen-ventures-into-the-unknown/
Val Nguyen ventures into the unknown