Re: Juggle Act

[Michelle Corbin Nichols <tigger -at- VNET -dot- NET>]

>Have you read the story about sharpening your saw from the book "The
>Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"  /snip/

I took a week-long class/seminar in the 7-habits and it truly changed my
life...I was the same as many of you, I worked, ate, slept, breathed my
job.  I loved it, so why not, right?  Well, my life was so totally
unbalanced and I was NOT juggling, I was throwing one ball up and down over
and over again.  What fun is that?

As part of the seminar, we were to write a "personal mission statement."
Sounds Dilbertesque gone bad, but it was a chance to focus on ME and what
*I* wanted out of life.  I realized that I was more than my job.  I had
several different roles that I played and I needed to play out those roles
every week in order to feel sane, balanced, and alive.

I don't carry my personal mission statement with me (like some 7-habits
converts), I don't use the 7-habits time management system (I have my own
that I feel comfortable with), and I don't worry about setting goals every
week for each of my roles (althought that is what they suggest).  What I do
do is remember that I am a very complex individual, who needs my husband,
my family, my friends, my cats, my hobbies, and my mind (intellectual
stimulation that is NOT related to my job) to be truly healthy and happy.
I must allow time for ME to be able to continue to do my job.

>I'll quote something I read once, "No one on their deathbed wishes they
>had spent more time in the office."

Another exercise that we did, that is probably fairly common now, is
writing our own obituary.  Sounds morbid, and it was an awful experience,
but at that time in my life, it read:  "She was a devoted wife, when she
had the time, as she was a hard-working, true blue technical writer."
Whoo, hooo, hooo!  Now, I think it might read:  "She was a devoted wife,
aunt/godmother, sister, daughter, and friend, who valued and loved life to
its fullest.  Her enthusiasm and positive outlook affected all who knew her
and truly made the world a better place.  During her career as a technical
communicator, she enjoyed mentoring, teaching, and helping others excel in
their own knowledge, skills and abilities."

Wow.  I sound pretty cool, don't I?  ;)  Just in writing that it motivates
me to continue to make it come true.  It also reminds me to focus on one of
my future goals, which is to become a professor of technical communication.

TTFN,
Michelle Corbin Nichols

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