The past few days has been very unforgiving, as project after project and opportunities started dotting the landscape in front of me. Opportunist as I am, I grabbed as much as I could. It was just, after all, just for me to chase my dreams.
This is me, chasing my dreams.
The schedule that I faced and that I’m managing so far has caused me to lose a LOT of sleep in the past weeks, and I am beginning to feel it taking its toll on me as I begin to wake up late in the day and begin to lose focus at random times—which is bad when you’re lead QA for a Web CMS company, where attention to detail is paramount. My boss (and longtime friend) Ching told me that it’s high time for me to start managing my own time, and at the back of my head I began thinking what would happen when I will be forced to drop certain projects just to spare me an extra few seconds of sleep. I for one, fear dropping a project since I might not just lose a potential avenue of income, but also lose or endanger my newly-formed relationship with a friend. That considered, there will be a time when I will have to make a decision as to which ones I should keep, or which ones I should have to put aside for the moment.
I wish I had some of that!
I’ve known folks who have been able to manage their tight schedule so far, and I have a undaunted admiration for people who are able to juggle different projects and yet get to have time for themselves and for their families. Or even get to have a lot of free time, despite all the requirements their jobs demand of them.
Mass Effect and Eroge: Two of the things that keep me busy since 2010.
I’ve began my efforts to try and to organize myself and to fix out my time so that I can set aside time for myself; I know that when I am on edge I need a lot of time to unwind. It’s a very precarious balance inside my mind; and I know that taming the beast will take time.
Different people have different ways to tackle a problem—but there are sometimes ways that works for everyone. It’s some kind of recipe. However, like a true recipe, when in the hands of a chef, you might want to switch around some of the ingredients or steps to cater to your personal needs.
Sometimes, this is what you only need. MOOORRRNINGG LESSS-Q
One recipe that I’ve been using is setting everything in a calendar schedule and see how much time you spend on certain projects and tasks. By plotting it, you’ll be able to have a visual representation to your schedule, allowing you to be able to quickly judge whether you’ll be able to take in another task.
Once you’re able to plot your schedule you’ll soon realize that there will be times when you’ll just have to say no. Yes, it is very difficult to say this, but of course you’ll have to deal with the fact that you’re living on 24 hours a day, with just 7 days a week. Time is limited, short, and in fixed quantities.
How to decline an offer is one thing, but to decline offers done by your friends is another. Sometimes it takes some skill in Diplomacy for you to be able to reach either a compromise, or a postponement. Either way, you get to clear your schedule up for more important matters such as getting a massage or tending to the brewing insanity that is growing in your consciousness.
And also, a healthy dose of vodka.
With that in mind, I’ve turned down a lot of projects already, or a lot of job offers. These offers may be really through the roof sometimes when it comes to salary and/or compensation, but the resulting schedule, effort and punishment you’ll take during that work may sometimes be not worth it. Sometimes it takes more than just salary and money to make someone switch (jobs) over.
I guess that’s it. To close this post, I’d like to quote something that Nikki told me a few days ago over twitter:
Well, makes sense.
I just wonder how others do it.
You, my reader, how do you do it?