Historically, I am busy in the Fall; late August to late October usually. Then there's a lull and it picks up momentarily at the new year only to lull again. I define busy as there is a running to-do list, deadlines, and lots of need from other parties.
It usually happens again in May, when advocates and managers realize that the school year is ending and there are requirements still to be met.
Then 2024 happened. Work has returned almost to the pre-pandemic levels so I'm consistently busy. It's not unwelcome, but it's an adjustment.
Then this week happened. It started out kind of a weird day with requests requiring second steps and unclear communication. I ended the day with a to-do list and a plan but still feeling like I was running behind.
This morning I started work at 5:30 in the morning, as per the usual. I worked about two hours but my brain was struggling to engage. I decided to go lay down with Lucy and rest for a bit. I set my alarm for thirty minutes, knowing that it would probably take forty-five minutes to re-engage.
At the 45 minute point, I checked my work on my phone. FIVE EMAILS requiring attention. I got up, sighing "So this is how it's gonna be today..." and went to work for another two, almost three hours.
It was a constant onslaught. My job partner was doing monitoring. When I do it, I call it audits. So if a team member gets an audit email from me, they know it's serious. Monitoring is also serious but they know if it then gets to me, whew. All avenues have been exhausted and they have work to do.
Lucy and I went for walkies about mid-day, even though I had work to do. I left, knowing that I was coming back to light chaos. And I did.
I finished my day at 5:00 by walking away from the computer but still getting texts and requiring one trip back to the computer. I told Kevin that he could watch whatever he wanted tonight because my brain is exhausted. I want to play on my phone then go to bed.
But before that, one of the text conversations prompted an idea and now I have this waiting for me in the morning:
Color coded because I knew that 5:30 a.m. me would not understand 7:00 p.m. me.
Welcome back to the New Normal.
1 comment:
I always leave notes for myself on my work desk with cryptic messages of things to do right away the next morning. Those messages are sometimes so cryptic as to be unintelligible. You're really kind to your future self.
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