May
01
Learning to unplug
I’ve always been a really hard worker. I’m the type of guy who has no problem pulling a 20 hour shift in order to get the job done, however, lately I’ve been feeling a bit of burn out. I think it comes from working so much, so hard, so often. I am always one to volunteer to help out across teams, shifts, and projects, because I like to be part of something. I like to be recognized for my input and achievement and be part of the solution.
The only problem with this is, I have a very hard time unplugging. At Rackspace, we have a culture of rewarding top performers, recognizing contributions that go above and beyond the line of duty to fanatically assist our customers. Ever since I started over a year and a half ago, I have been going full throttle, but I have recently learned that sometimes you have to shift gears and work on personal goals and development.
I am slowly learning to disconnect the cord, but it has been very hard for me. I’m not one to turn people down when they ask me to do something that will help them, help a customer, or help our company succeed. At the same time, it comes at a cost to my personal life. I’m writing this post not only to vent some frustrations with myself, but to help remind myself what my goals are. I’ve compiled a small list of goals that I want to accomplish within the next year ::
- Obtain an RHCE
- Attend at least one professional conference
- Meet and network with more people
- Start saving and planning for my future
- Buy a house
While the goals above may seem easy to achieve, without disconnecting once in an while, they become almost out of reach. Working with Clouds is hard work, and requires a high attention threshold, as well as an even greater attention to detail than you would need in a traditional environment. Stepping back from the situation and taking a break is essential to good mental heath, and great for the thought process. Unplugging, for me right now, is enabling me to be even more focused on the goals and missions we have set forth for ourselves, and allows me to enter The Cloud more relaxed, more focused and more energetic than I was the day before.
Give me your tips. What do you do to unplug when you are not in the office? How do you balance out work and personal time to give yourself the highest productivity, while still maintaining your personal obligations?
