It’s time to get back into writing about something that I love, mentoring. I took some time off from my blog in 2022 to focus my time in other areas. There were several other things I needed to focus on such as project workload, office initiatives, I got engaged; we got married, and project construction in 2022 has been unlike any other. There were enough things occupying my time while also dedicating time to spend with my friends and family. Now that a few things have settled down, I can get back into mentorArchitect with new gusto!
But with this new entrance just before 2023, I wanted to write about creating balance in your life and career. Time is a finite resource and there isn’t enough time to do everything. You need to be agile and adapt what you spend your time doing based on the surrounding factors. That is exactly what happened in 2022 for me. I couldn’t possibly do everything without getting burned out. So I stopped writing for a time to focus on more important things. What is some advice if you are finding yourself stretched too thin?
Life is a Balancing Act
There really isn’t a perfect work and life balance that works for everyone. There also isn’t something that will work for you forever. It’s a game of life and it’s up to you to prioritize. You may focus on studying for the Architectural Registration Exams one year and next, preparing to welcome a new member of the family. These are two very different events in your life that take different amounts of work and have different time durations for responsibility.
You may work on a Construction Documents deadline one month and interview for a new project the next. These are unique skill sets and time commitments that can take over not only your workday but possibly some nights and weekends as well.
The more you can adapt and flex your time based on whatever life or work commitment comes your way, the more time you can spend on the important things. There is nothing saying you can’t take a break for a few months or year and come back to it later.
Breaks are OKAY
That leads me to my next piece of advice, breaks are okay. Everyone deserves a break from different commitments. Just like a vacation from the office, it’s a way to relax and decompress. It is as important as a date night away from the kids to help your relationship. If taking an entire week off from work doesn’t seem possible, then look to take an afternoon off for yourself.
However, you should never feel that you CAN’T take a longer amount of time off. Everyone deserves time off to get a change of scenery, step away and recharge your batteries. Never let a boss tell you otherwise, or make you feel awful for even asking for a day off. If they do, it’s time to leave the firm. For instance, I took 2 weeks off around my wedding to focus on last-minute wedding needs, unplug from work, and decompress from both after the wedding. It was nice not looking at emails or teams for almost a full two weeks. I could decompress, enjoy my wedding, and even noticed my stress dropped significantly. (Thanks to my Garmin watch). It’s your life and your health. Take a break. You deserve it.
Value and Reflect on your whole life
As the new year starts, new goals and resolutions always surface. But nobody talks about taking time at the end of the year to reflect on what you could accomplish or complete. I definitely didn’t hit all my goals, and ended up taking a longer break from blogging than I expected. But it’s okay. There were some goals that I could complete.
But you should take time each year to reflect on the year or past few years. Were there months that your workout routine faded away? Were there times that work regularly affected your personal life? How were your stress levels throughout the year? Are you doing what you enjoy doing? Is there anything you need a break from?
In reflecting on my year without blogging versus the previous years, creating posts that had a particular length on a bi-weekly basis was stressful. In my year off, I missed providing posts and feedback to the architectural community. When I start back up, I’m giving myself that approval that it is okay if I miss a post deadline. It’s okay to write shorter, more direct posts. It’s acceptable to not post bi-weekly, and it’s even okay to post more in a shorter time frame.
What can you learn about yourself when you reflect at the end of the year?
In the end, I’m excited to be back writing and sharing stories with you. I look forward to 2023, I will try to post biweekly, and I can’t wait to share with you the new exciting things brewing for mentorArchitect. Sometimes I may just not be able to post something and that is okay. Quality is what I would prefer to give you.
Hope you all have a great new year head on!
Written by
Katelyn Rossier, AIA, LSSBB