Balancing the investment:return ratio

I have made a decision. It seems that lately I have posted frequently about the grand decisions I've made and the changes I'm planning to make in my life. It's good to have ideas and to make plans, but it is better to act on them and make them a reality. The sweeping decision for today is to not take my job so damn seriously.

For real.

I've hit some speedbumps with my company in the last several months and my confidence in them as an organization has been dwindling at a pretty steady rate. After the events of last week (which are too boring and tedious to spell out in this forum) it has become glaringly apparent to me that I have given too much of myself to my job and it's time that it stopped. I will continue to do my best, to work hard, to see all my projects through. However, I will no longer be going above and beyond. I will no longer be working long hours. I will no longer be volunteering for corporate initiatives and taking on extra work. I haven't seen much return on the investment I have made in my job. What usually happens when an investment doesn't see good returns? That investment gets reallocated. Right? Simple math.

So, I am now reallocating the time and energy I would have previously earmarked for extra effort in my job to things that matter to me more - like my own interests, my own creative pursuits, my own life. I'm not going to become some work slacker, I'm just going to be smarter about the way I approach my job. It's like a relationship in the sense that if one person gives and gives and the other just takes and takes then the relationship isn't a very productive one. I'm going to make better investments with myself. Time and energy are priceless and impossible to get back once spent. They better be spent on worthy causes. Here's to a smarter personal portfolio.



By the way, David Paterson just took the oath of office and is now the governor of the state of New York. His swearing in ceremony was very moving and exciting. I was surprisingly giddy listening to it on the radio. His speech was great - he's a funny guy and he was jovial and light and inclusive. In order to read a speech he has to use incredibly large type, so he typically speaks candidly, on the fly. It was human and real. The first black governor of NY. The first legally blind governor of NY. He has grace and charm and I have high hopes for his term. I hope he is met with cooperation and respect. He deserves it. He served in the state senate representing Harlem for 21 years. The man has experience. Super cool thing: governors of NJ, CT, and MA were all present today. It's a regional love-fest.