To Many things so little time!!! 15

[Nunzio]

I am a webdesigner for a Medical School. and it is just starting to seem like everytime I turn around I have another job I have to get done in a day or something of that sorts. I was wondering if anyone that is out there can tell me how to calm down and deal with it rationally instead of going insane.

Nunzio

 

[SheRa]

Nunzio, I'm 21, so no older than you really. But I intend to enjoy life as much as I possibly can. I can only hope that working this much is making you love your life. Because if it isn't, then why do it?

I won't spend hours and hours of extra time in front of my computer, just so that someone will give me money. I can somewhat identify with your grant problem, as I've struggled to maintain an A- average at school so I can keep my $5000/yr scholarship. But this year I decided that I wanted my life to consist of more than trying to get that scholarship. I wanted to spend more time with my friends, walking my dog, and reading books. I'd expect there's much more money involved with your grant, but it all comes down to the fact that it's YOUR life, and letting money dictate it isn't the way to make yourself happy.

If you love your work, then by all means, spend all your time doing it. But if not, I say find something you do love doing, and either use it to balance out the work you're doing, or find a way to turn it into profit for yourself.

SheRa M&M's are better than money because you can eat them.

 

[MasterRacker]

Sorry about my typing in the last post, I had a freshly smashed finger.....

Nunzio,
Killing yourself for a specific project or working a ton of overtime to make extra money for a specific reason is okay as long as there is a finite time limit involved that you have set in advance. Set a specific goal, reach it, then lighten up.

Computers are way cool, but they are still simply a tool, nothing more. A job can be very enjoyable, but it is still job, nothing more. As SheRa says, you need to have a life. If there is nothing to your life outside of work, find something. To be healthy you need to have balance. Don't make endless work a way of life.
Jeff

I haven't lost my mind - I know it's backed up on tape somewhere ....

 

[iza]

yes, both MasterRacker and SheRa are right - getting a life is way more important than spending hours in front of your computer, even if it's for money - i mean, what will you do when 40, a lot of money, and nothing but a computer to share it with ?? doesn't make sense to me ...
what's more, if you need 18 hours a day EVERY DAY, people might think : either you don't dare saying you have too much work - or you are not efficient enough - or you are lazy and don't work all day long - or you have nothing to do in your live but staying sat here :-( ... i'm not saying that for you !! when i started working i was like you, afraid of leaving early, staying hours at work ... then i realized it was stupid, and it was even playing AGAINST me (for the reasons above) ...

 

[pivan]

I am finding that as I get older I can now accomplish in 7 hours what used to take me 12. Its all a matter of focus and prioritizing.

If any of my develpers start working 12 hour days on a consistent basis I get concerned as this can really cause a moral problem.

We schedule all of our projects based on a 40 hour work week with a productivity of about 65%.

Since doing this we are finding that we are actually able to actually accomplish more. Using a tight process model and designing up front also helps.

Are IT/Software Development Managers still grinding massive hours out of tech staff?? I thought that stuff went away with Cro-Magnon man...(person?).

Cheers,
pivan In not now, when?
If not here, where?
If not us, who?

Just do it!!

 

[NinaToo]

Nunzio, you wrote:
-----------
ok here is a question how long is to long at work. currently I spend 18 hours or so a day here is that to long or is it not enough?
-----------
That is way too long for me.

Do you get paid overtime, or are you in an "exempt" category? And if you are "exempt," do you get to take extra "comp" time off when the project is finished?

I've been occasionally into heavy overtime. In my old job, I was assigned to a full-time (8 hour a day) training class, and at the same time, had a hot deadline for a project, so I had to stay after class to work on the project. Plus I sometimes had to work on Saturdays and Sundays. As I recall, I went for 2 weeks, working 10-12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I found out that I have limits as to how much work I can do at a time. After this project ended, I finally wound up having to take an extensive amount of time off for medical reasons due to high stress. Then my doctor limited me to part-time work for a bit.

The lesson I learned is not to get trapped into doing too much work so that it endangers my health. When I was medically released to go back to full-time, my doctor wrote a note stating "no overtime."

My doctor now says that I can occasionally work overtime. But not the way that I did when I worked that project. I work for a different employer now, where the pace is a bit slower. We get paid overtime or else "comp" time, as we are not in an "exempt" category.

If your company insists that you work 18 hours a day, go to your doctor and ask him/her about how this affects your health. GEt a note which limits the amount of overtime you do. If your company won't respect your doctor's limitations, then start looking for another job. No job is worth your own health.

Hope this help, Nina Too

 

[Nunzio]

Well to answer everyone. I don't work for an IT profession I work for a Medical Institute I have cut down my hours to 10 a day sometimes 12-16 but not very often. Sense I have felt much better and am keeping the job and moving up in the field. Thanks for everyones help.

Thank You
Nunzio 10101010101010101010101010100001
If you code it I will crash it.
10101000100101001111000100100010

 

[rickmeister]

One thing I've noticed just recently is that I have to personally 'win' at something. I work for a SW dev. firm that basically works on all Unix flavors (and WinX) which means that the customers I deal with (as an sales consultant/architect) have many different priorities and intrests.

This past weekend, I finally installed a different flavor of Linux (that I had bought almost 3 weeks ago) on one of my PCs at home. It was amazing the amount of relief/joy and satisfaction I got out of doing just that. I also added one more cupboard to my kitchen - not completed, but getting there. So all these little jobs that don't seem to mean a lot individually, meant a lot to me personally.

This helped me to put work and stresses in perspective, it sort of helped me "charge up" for another little bit. So for me, when I get "floating" hostility or frustration show up too often, I have to remember that I haven't done anything for myself in a while...

rgds

 

[fidleid]

I have worked as adminstrative support in academia for about 30 years and I have learned several important lessons. 1. Say no and when saying yes never tell them when it will be finished. 2. All academic types are in a hurry and I cannt be responsible for their inability to plan 3. Academic types cannot apply numbers to the real world. 4. Academics, like most people, only remember your failures... those times when you save their butts are quickly chalked up to " he was just doing his job". Academic types are not always right but they are never wrong....just ask them. So just smile and let them walk away occasionally.


Two steps that I have learned can help with Academic types. 1. Never ever tell them when the job is done. If it sits for 6 months before they ask about that is ok. Now you have the upper hand. You must have seen those times when you bust your butt only to have the change sit around for weeks before anyone uses it. 2. Separate jobs into short and long jobs. Those that are short you can do on Tues. and Thurs. and long one are reserved for M,W,F.

If you are 19 and this stressed out you are in big trouble. I would image you can get free physc. help at a med school. I would strongly recommend you do so. By definition academic types are self-centered egotists. They have poor manners and are the biggest users on the planet. A grad student near the end of his degree program is like a wild animal. They are not reasonable. You have gotten caught in their trap. Stop it now while you can.

 

[dwmatteson]

Hmm. Since I'm getting close to completing my doctorate, I guess I should consider investing in a cage for myself. I'd hate to hurt someone after working myself into an unreasonable, irrational, self-centered, egotistical frenzy. (I apologize in advance for the rudeness of this post.) ;-)

Don

 

[Nunzio]

Hey guys,
thanks for the cage (cubical) idea it seems to be working nicely. 10101010101010101010101010100001
If you code it I will crash it.
10101000100101001111000100100010

 

[Kjonnnn]

After you priortize and you have conflicting deadlines... take the ball OUT of your court.

Involve the overbearing requestors and let them know that you have "this, this and this, which are all of high importance, due at the same time." Have/let/make them decide which is more important.

 

[Hal10K]

Nunzio,
I have resembled the situation you have described, in another profession. I got out, and saved my sanity at the time. Now is another matter.....
NO JOB IS WORTH KILLING YOURSELF OVER.
In Project Management, we talk about the triple constraints: Time, Budget & Performance. If you emphasise one, then the others must change to balance the available resources. When my users/stakeholders/bosses present a crash priority, I generally tell them: "You want it fast, cheap or good? Pick two."

Here are some non-inclusive, general tips.
1. Do get a clear understanding of expectations.
2. Do get a firm committment for resources (including
overtime, additional staff or developer tools).
3. Do work to the specification. Anything beyond that
is a change order and initiates renegotiation.
4. Get firm dates for deliverables. You probably will
meet them initially on your estimates. They will
improve with practice and experience.
5. Communicate good news soon and bad news faster. Do
not blindside your boss.
6. Know when to do the formal "ask for permission" versus
the "Ask for forgiveness, since it is easier to get
than permission." This can be dicey, and depends on
organizational culture.
7. Almost never, ever eat at the console / workstation /
desk. Go to the lunch room or cafeteria or anywhere
away from your work site. Then, turn off the pager,
phone, Blackberry, except (depending on stress levels
or formal job requirements) for your *last* most
urgent notification device. Get some peace while you
eat, read a book, look out the window, people watch,
relax. You'll live longer.

Hal Smith
Enterprise DBA / Intranet Webmaster
for a Municpal Utiltiy somewhere....

 

[johncurtis]

I've just found this forum - interesting topic.

I've not much to add re your original question, there's lots of good advice here about prioritising, learning to say no, etc. I'd like to comment on the '18 hours a day' though. I used to work way too many hours (not quite 18 though!) and always thought there was too much to do and too little time. Then 3 years ago my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and my life changed. I suddenly realised that work isn't important enough to get stressed about and that there are many more important things in life. I now work 8 hours a day maximum. I still do the same amount of work, but applying some of the principles outlined in this thread I dramatically increased my effectiveness and became more relaxed in the process.
Now, I'm not suggesting that you need to have kids to solve problems of over-work, but by thinking hard about how you work and by having other things in your life you can reduce these problems to manageable proportions. Heck, I've even got time to write nonsense in Tek-Tips forums!

Enjoy life
John

 

[fwatanabe]

One aspect of 18 hours days that hasn't been mentioned yet is the physical damage it can do. When I was younger, my attitude was "Work like a dog and make money now, so I don't have to worry as much when I'm old". So I worked 14-16 hours a day, had no social life and got to the point where I was soooo stressed out that I couldn't get to sleep without a large glass of wine before bedtime! It was really quite sad.

Then my wrists started to bother me. I'm a computer programmer, I sit at a desk all day, going typety-type. My wrists started to *burn* from the abuse. Not to mention my back & neck - posture goes to heck when you sit in a chair for 16 hours. Then, my EYES! I developed a blind spot in my right eye and did not realize until recently that it was also related to the stress. I went to about 5 different optometrists/opthamologists/retina specialists/etc... and none of them could find anything wrong with my eye. That was about 5 years ago, and I've discovered that the blind spot goes away when I'm not stressed and comes back when I'm under pressure at work and working long hours.

So anyway, it's amazing how far reaching the consequences can be... it's not just your personal life that suffers, it's also your health & wellbeing. If you decide that working long days is your best option, then please be careful about it - take breaks, relax, stretch, get some fresh air (as others have suggested).

I know that I have learned my lesson. My physical wellness is not something I'm willing to trade for money or career.


-Geez Nunzio, you must be getting close to 21 by now! Is it time for that beer yet? (I'm from Canada where we can drink at 18!)

 

[Nunzio]

fwatanabe,
As a matter of fact I have my 21st birthday on June 24th. A few people I work with have decided to take me to a beer brewing company. So I get to drink my own brew on my birthday. That and 2 days off for recovery.

ps thanks for the warning. I will try and head to it. 10101010101010101010101010100001
If you code it I will crash it.
10101000100101001111000100100010

 

[mnchstr]

I know the feeling. We used to have a saying.."in the Cav(air cav), we aint flexible, weez liquid". The Army seemed to run by Crisis Management, which was excellent training for my current position which is connecting new digital office products to various networks. The sales dept. is constantly sending me out to connect a device and most of the time they havn't even asked which NOS they're running or what aps they are running. I used to complain about not having enough info to complete the task, and just decided to take each install(and they are ALL different) as a learning experience. After all.....

IT CAN ONLY LAST TILL 5:00

 

[swm58]

Nunzio
Don't think of it as a 50 yard dash, think of it as a marathon. Slow down before you burn out! You will actually get more accomplished. When I have to ask my team to work after 5:00 or on a weekend, I ask myself if it will make a difference. If we are really, really close and a few hours on Saturday will get it - we do it - but I am there with them with the Pizza.

 

[xandroid]

OK I just spent over 40 minutes outlining a solution for you and hit one bad key and lost it all/ I have your solution, call if you want me to explain it to you.

440-327-3093

It is a good operaational solution, it will work.