My thought, back in early December, was …
I’m taking two-plus weeks of vacation around the holidays. No problem. I’ll plan on working Tuesday-Wednesday each of the two weeks, which will be enough to cover whatever small crises come up, while still allowing me some time to finally get to some strategic initiatives my boss has assigned me, while still not interfering with the general “getting a rest” quality of the holidays.
The reality? Nowhere near the thought.
Each Tuesday/Wednesday has been action packed with playing catch-up and then trying to advance the dozen-odd major projects and production issues I have to fight right now, juggling a week of meetings into two days, and generally unproductive fever pitch. The other days have resulted in what feels like at least one, if not more, business conference calls on major production issues I simply couldn’t avoid.
At this point, I’m feeling like I should have just said nothing for Christmas week, and then hit 3-4 days this week. That wouldn’t have gotten me out of some of the brouhaha on the phone, but it would have blocked out some real time regardless. Or something. Because, to be honest, I feel like I’ve managed to accomplish neither of my goals (to rest and to keep up with work).
Rrg.
Of course, this year is particularly bad with major projects all needing to be planned and scheduled and reviewed and approved by some very demanding clients, some other major projects that I’m suddenly having to pay more attention to, personnel shifts, and a couple of weeks of major production glitches in the middle of year-end processing, which I am suddenly much more involved in, too.
But, still …
(Takes deep breath.)
We will persevere. It’ll get done.