All entries for Saturday 12 May 2007

May 12, 2007

Time management – a warning and a reality check

I have been concerned recently about the amount of time I dont seem to have.

Work has been busy - with the end of the budget year coming up and lots of info to take in, and work relating to, the Remodelling projectand all the PR type stuffI have been involved in, and there is a new working group I am on that's about to start and some exams to prepare for (examining, not being examined) and the newsletter to edit and the web site to maintain and the BioMed Grid enquiry project to run and blah blah blah.

Even if I wasn't working towards ChartershipI would want to be involved in all of these things and more - I am addicted to my job. But if I wasnt working towards Chartership I might not be writing my blog on my lunch break (which isnt actually a lunch break, it's just a lull in a drop in session I am currently running at the Medical School).

When I applied for Chartership and started looking into what would be involved I was given a very inaccurate impression! Lots of people said you could easily gather the evidence during work time and then put it all together at the end in a few hours. THIS IS A LIE(or at least a very rose-tinted set of distant memories).

I had a meeting with my mentor last week (blog entry to follow) and we talked a lot about this issue:

My major concern is that among all the exciting and interesting stuff I am getting more and more involved in (like the PR stands and the project work) my day to job may be taking a back seat and I am building up a backlog in the office. In order to avoid this I am spending a lot of my lunch breaks at my desk and I even took work home with me over the Bank Holiday Weekend. I often prepare for meetings or proof read documents on the bus to and from work.

So, a few rules for me to follow:

Consult regularly with line manager re: prioritising (This has already started)
Take proper breaks (I'm trying, I'm trying)
Don't take office work home - only Chartership specific work (Does that HAVE to include the stuff I really enjoy???)
Start saying "NO" - even if it's something I really want to do - until I have completed current projects (Havn't been asked to do anything since my mentor meeting- I'm preparing myself!)
Explain to people who are trying to help me with Chartership by offering me relevant opportunities, that I have TWO WHOLE YEARS TO DO THISand I may have to decline their offers at the moment and take different opportunities later (Warwick is brimming with opportunity, if you miss one thing 5 more will come along later) (Mantra required)
Remind myself, every time a tempting opportunity arises, that I have TWO WHOLE YEARS TO DO THISand I may have to decline offers at the moment and take different opportunities later (Warwick is brimming with opportunity, if you miss one thing 5 more will come along later) (Mantra taking shape)

I think, ironically, my problem is that I love the job so much. I want to be involved in everything, I want to learn about everything and I want to know whats going on all over the place.

Calm down, order books, get the daily paperwork out of the way, and remember that I have TWO WHOLE YEARS TO DO THISand I may have to decline offers at the moment and take different opportunities later (Warwick is brimming with opportunity, if you miss one thing 5 more will come along later). (Mantra confirmed).

Unfortunately, once Chartership is completed, I have the rest of my working life to do this, and will probably spend it reminding myself that I have THE REST OF MY WORKING LIFE TO DO THIS,and that I may have to decline offers at the moment and take different opportunities later. . . . . (Mantra in practice)

(Entry started 12th May, finished 17th May - hmmm, what does that tell you??)