Overextended

I’m overextended.

I believe that’s the polite, don’t make waves, low impact way to say that I’m feeling massively overwhelmed. 

And when I say overwhelmed, I mean drowning.

It’s mostly on the professional side. One way to look at it is that I’m a victim of my own success. Not in an arrogant way; rather, that the huge effort we’ve put in at my firm over the last couple of years is paying off. 

The demand for our services is at it’s highest point in our forty-three year history. The growth strategies we’ve worked on for so long are working. The client needs are significant.

Which leaves me woefully behind on the details, and so I’m only focusing on the most critical needs in front of me right now.

Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of only focusing on some of the work, even if it is the most important parts. It just doesn’t feel good.

So, is this just a “woe-is-me” story today? Nah. I’m more resilient than that. I’m being open about my current struggle for two reasons: 1) the NoExcusesHR community is incredibly supportive and creative; and 2) there might be someone else out there who is feeling similar pressure to what I’m feeling.

What’s next? My reality is that I’m going to be drowning for a while and I need to get (somewhat) comfortable with that…at least in the short-term. Quick pivots may work in the middle of a sporting event, but they are a fantasy in the business world.

Long-term however, I need a different approach to how I work (I’ve tried this quite unsuccessfully in the past.) Easier said than done, I know. 

Perhaps some of you have mastered the art of how to accomplish the big things and not obsess over the long list of little things?

Thanks for being here.

Jay

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