When the Hare Slows Down

In our departmental meeting the other day, my boss asked us, "How do you deal with interruptions?" I thought that was a funny question because until I moved in to this position, interruptions were such a part of my daily life, I did not even consider that they were disrupting my schedule. In fact, when I moved in to this job, I would start working on something and find myself lurching to a halt every few minutes. I had this sickening feeling that something was very wrong and I couldn't figure out what. It finally hit me: No one is interrupting me! I had to learn to work without interruptions.

Working straight through is difficult for me. I really enjoyed the "interruption" aspect of my last position because it meant every few minutes I had something new to do. Since I am an expert multi-tasker and I thrive on the challenge of seeing how many balls I can keep in the air, the more interruptions I had, the better my work was. My mind was active and alert, and I was always full of energy. It was easy and fun for me to bounce back and forth between tasks. I was usually writing a technical piece while answering urgent emails (I got upwards of 200 emails a day in that position), or phone calls (no fewer than 5 an hour), quickly dashing off a need for one of my VPs, all the while keeping up with daily reporting. Oh, the energy! Now I have the time to focus on one thing at a time and I kind of need a nap.

Granted, I love this job more than any I have ever had. It is exactly what I have been working toward for a long time. The only problem is that I really have to pay solid attention and focus on a single order of business, sometimes for several days in a row, until that one item is complete. I lose interest quickly, get squirmy and antsy, missing the need to be a constant corporate firefighter. (My mother always said that was a sign of intelligence. Another, less invested outsider suggested Ritalin.)

Adjusting to the flow is a huge part of any new job, and I am still doing that, but I am also working toward changing the flow. I want to go faster, so I need to learn more. When I have learned this job inside and out, I can add some flash. Sort of a "Pimp My Ride" for a job. Right now I am driving in my little hoopty, taking it slow over the bumps, steering gingerly around dips and shifting gears carefully. In a little while, I'll add some new rims, then I'll trick out the engine, get some quads, maybe some glass packs, a new stereo system, a new paint job, and hydraulics for days when I'm feeling particularly bouncy. That'll be me flying down the corporate highway, sailing over potholes and shifting like a pro with my stereo blasting.

For now, I'll just crank down my window the old fashioned way and force myself to chug ahead. Slow and steady wins the race.

~Elese Morris