Re: Juggle Act

[Tim Altom <taltom -at- IQUEST -dot- NET>]

At 11:12 AM 6/9/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Hello gang,
>
>How hard do you think it is to constantly write about your software product
>and stay up with the constantly changing technology while still leaving
>time to enjoy the little things?
>
>Our company's product is an Human Resources Management System (HRMS). The
>software is very complicated and requires a lot of research in
>understanding tax and HR laws. Between the studying, the writing, and the
>reading of new technology, I sometimes find myself missing out on those
>walks on the beach, and the sunsets at night, and foremost the rain dancing
>off the streets. Does anyone else fall in this category at times. I am just
>curious if people in my field feel the same as I do.
>
Hey, when did we starting allowing humanity on this list? If I can't write
about some DTP or another I don't know how to act.

I don't know if our industry is any more Type A than any other nowadays, but
it's a complaint I hear a lot from my colleagues, especially those who work
for themselves or in tiny companies. Lots of people just seem to give up and
stop trying to keep ahead of anything. That, of course, only moves the
frenzy off into the future, but it makes today more bearable.

I found that if I didn't get back to the sunsets and rain I wasn't worth
much at work after awhile, either. Freshness faded and I began writing more
and more tersely just to get it over with. After a time I just wanted to go
back to being a technician. It wasn't fun doing doc anymore. It's funny how
daily walks and meditation can make a better documentor. You'd think they're
unrelated, but they're not.

That said, how do you break the cycle? Don't know. I just did. And continue
doing so periodically. You discover afterward that stuff gets boxed and out
the door anyway, even when you're not constantly willing it to happen.

Tim Altom
Vice President, Simply Written, Inc.
317.899.5882 (voice) 317.899.5987 (fax)
FrameMaker support  ForeHelp support
FrameMaker-to-HTML Conversions
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