We run at a pace unimaginable 10 or 15 years ago. Remember when computers were a luxury? Now they are a necessity. You must recall when getting a cup of coffee meant filling a pot with water, and running it through the coffee maker at work – instead of heading to Starbucks. And there was a time (perhaps you were a toddler back then) when you’d have to wait for your colleague to return back to the office before knowing whether your company nailed the deal or not, cause there was no BlackBerry.
Our work life culture is running a bazillion miles an hour as if every moment is fueled by steroids. Here’s the problem, the faster we go, the quicker we produce. And the more our bosses and clients get used to it – the higher the expectation in our jobs and careers. Not only are we becoming a society of “yes, I’ll have it yesterday,” but also, “of course It will be thorough and top notch.”
This model of behavior sets a scary precedent. Soon we not only fall at the feet of others , but of our own pride and determination to succeed. It might have us sacrificing health, exacerbating an already stressed-out family life and toss us into a never ending desire to do more. We become super-humans at the risk of losing our status as mere human beings.
There are those of us who love our jobs (and I am one of them). I greatly enjoy being a broadcast journalist. But even in the throws of breaking news during our recent historic election, I made the time – for downtime. I’ve not always done this well, and in fact was completely blindsided yesterday when I managed to get so caught up with work and family drama’s that I didn’t call one of my best friends in the whole world to wish her a happy birthday. I beat myself up to no end.
Work life balance went out the window a long time ago. Our working and living experience is merging, but integrating at that intersection has become more and more difficult. And at a blurry intersection, there’s bound to be accidents and mistakes made because you can’t see all that well. Mired in the need for survival sometimes we just go on autopilot -and life might not be so productive in that mode.
It takes discipline to navigate our work life culture which is so infused with steriodial behavior (made it up). And what’s more – there’s no National Work Life Association that’s going to monitor our insane addiction to the speedy need for success. It’s up to us as individuals, to track our own brand of insanity and have the discipline to “just say no,” while designing some sort of stress-busting routine so we don’t burn out. When you continually raise the bar on expectation, the skies the limit. The highs will be high – but the low point – practically inconceivable.
We are working and living in a 24/7 info-overloaded attention deficit culture. The question is – how do we navigate all the sensory overload while cultivating resilience so we can be successful? That my friends is the question for 2009 and beyond.
