Re: Juggle Act

[JIMCHEVAL -at- AOL -dot- COM]

In a message dated 97-06-09 12:14:56 EDT, robin -dot- m -dot- allen -at- worldnet -dot- att -dot- net
(Robin M. Allen) writes:

<<
 It's hard enough keeping up with my clients, their industry, their
 software, and their corporate culture. Sometimes I wish I was doing
 anything *but* working with computers.

 I do try to take time out for me, but when I do, I feel guilty. Isn't
 that insane? >>
Perhaps because I'd been a musician before I went into business, I was never
able to take corporate culture seriously (even when I was on staff, being
regularly promoted and given raises.)

I've done my share of nerve-pureeing overtime, but somehow I've ALWAYS left
time for culture in my life.  My interest in art galleries, now that I think
of it, started about the time I became a programmer, in part I think because
I loved the calm and quiet of those spaces after a frantic week spent helping
users, debugging programs, etc.

Despite this, I managed to accumulate a large variety of technologies and
analytical experience while on-staff.

Since I've made the artistic side of my life (writing fiction and acting) my
priority, I've found that I actually make more money, have a hell of a lot
more time, and continue to learn new technologies and businesses just the
same.

The key I think is *boundaries*, being clear about what you will and won't
give of yourself, about what is yours and what is committed (in all domains)
to others.  And standing firm, not feeling in some obscure way that something
horrible will happen if you don't surrender a bit more of yourself.
(Actually, the worst things have happened to me when I WAS trying to make
sure they didn't - I think in some psychic way you bring them to life simply
putting them on the table in your own mind.)

In a practical sense, I think quite simply you clutter your mind less and
prioritize more, so that it's much easier to do each thing in a clear and
effective way.

In my case, it certainly helps that I lived in Europe.  The French say, "We
work to live; you Americans live to work."  An au pair girl said in Sunday's
New York Times that no French mother brings work home - when she's there for
her child, she's completely there.  In contrast to the American family she's
working for, where the mother is physically there but unavailable.

Which also is a reminder that the cultural, philosophical and psychological
components of this could be the basis for a whole other list.  So I'll stop
here.

(Boundaries, don't you know?)

Jim C.
Los Angeles
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