24 July 2011

Summer Holidays


I read

Car n'oublions pas, on devient ce à quoi on pense le plus souvent.
I translate:
And don't forget, we become what we think about most.
Ma vie de Groupie, Chantal Peticlerc, Châtelaine, May 2011

... therefore, I think!


In 1970, Quebec legislated an annual holiday for the construction industry and the holiday came into effect officially in the summer of 1971. Many Quebecers outside the construction industry also take their holidays during these two weeks, and it is the busiest time of year for the province's tourism industry, with a surge of up to 40% in activity at some sites. This period started last Friday, July 22nd.

Use this time wisely, replenish your batteries.
Sometimes, we need vacations from our vacations.
Doing nothing is also good.

All year long, we work like crazy.
Busy, busy bees … sometimes too much.
How do we arrive at the summer vacations so tired?
What is pushing us to work so hard, so much?

The problem of overwork is complex and can somewhat only be explained by demanding bosses to consenting employees. And why do we accept this?

Some reasons are externals to us and others we have some control over.
External:
- External demands: requirements: your boss, customers, colleagues.
- Work load
- Quality of your work
- Deadlines: too tight
- Corporate culture

YOU
- Your own requirements: are you a perfectionist and you are never happy with your own work?
- Negative thoughts: are you always thinking the worse?
- Lack of self-confidence

We often put more pressure on ourselves than what really comes from external factors. We have no control over the first ones (external), but nothing forces us to suffer from the last three.

However, if you cannot control the external factors, you can manage them. For example, we can verify our perception of the request. It is possible that are just adding some non-imposed stress, giving ourselves deadlines that are too tight or unrealistic. It is for us to recognize that we cannot do everything that is required (if it does not make sense) ... and yes, we can reject and / or propose a new schedule. Although, it is always a good idea to come up with plan B to your boss and not just answering mindlessly: no, I will not do the job.

We also need to protect the time we have. It is sometimes necessary to say no. When the schedule is too full, we cannot just add to it without cancelling or rescheduling something.

We often talk about positive thinking ... but it's true. We must stop the self-destruction that we create by refuting our negative thoughts. No, the sky will not fall if a project is postponed or is not perfect.

These 5 reasons should not be receivable to work too much:

  1. The desire to succeed at all cost: keep a balances life.
  2. The consuming passion for your work: yes, you are successful and hard work has probably contributed to it, but do not obsess with it. Are you in a catch 22, praise vs work?
  3. The need to feel appreciated: you have trouble saying no and you always tend to do a little more than the client application? Your employer may appreciate your dedication, but it could also lead you to overwork. If you are afraid of disappointing your boss or your clients, learn how to affirm and build your confidence. This will allow you better respect and uphold your personal boundaries
  4. Perfectionism: people are often anxious perfectionists. This may be your case if you tend to exaggerate all the possible consequences of an error or omission. Therefore, you may have trouble delegating. However, controlling and managing every detail of a project can become exhausting over time. Learn to assign tasks to others, because it is by delegating one learns to trust. By transferring some of your responsibilities to others, surely you will feel some relief.
  5. The competitive business environment: some workplaces value surpassing oneself and the spirit of competition by offering incentives such as performance bonuses or commissions. Stop comparing yourself to others. Give yourself the right to take time off for illness and not always be "Employee of the Month."

On this note, I wish you all the best on your summer vacations. Mine will be in August ...

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