Do I Work Too Much?

I got into a debate with some friends lately about the work/life balance. This seems to be a perennial topic for me as I get older. There’s something in me that is driven to succeed, to build a life for myself. I’ve seen previews of what it will be like. I know it’s there for the taking. There is also another part of me that knows I need that balance. Like I said to Nick, I burned out a few years ago and reevaluated what I really wanted in life. It came down to family and friends being the most important thing to me. So far for me, I’ve been lucky in that work has supported both of those things as I’ve worked with both family and friends much of my life. ThoughtWorks has just brought more friends like Clint, Eric, and Cliff. I’d do anything for those guys. They are like family to me too, which might be why this line is so blurry for me.

The illustrious Brad Feld came up in our conversation about his work/life balance. I’ve always looked up to smart people like Brad and tried to learn from their mistakes. I learned a long time ago that it is the best to learn this way, but there are unfortunately some things that you need to go through yourself to make the lesson really stick.

I’m trying to strike the right balance in my own life. I’m willing to give up a little personal time to get a strong foothold on a career, but I won’t do it forever. My life outside of work is too important to spend it in an office building all day. I love my work. I especially loved it when I was at NeoTactix. I would get into these very focused times and work more than 80 hours in a week without noticing. Now, I rely on my family and friends to reel me back in when I’ve gone too far. I don’t listen to people who can’t handle the pressure, don’t really care about me. I listen to those most important to me because they sometimes see things that I don’t.

So, I’m still not sure if I work too much. I know that I am enjoying what I do right now and that family and friends still come first. Like Nick said, I’m practicing for something bigger. Hardships? Setbacks? Things I’ve never done before? Bring ‘em on, but somebody remind me about dinner…

October 27, 2006 | Filed Under Life | Leave a Comment 

Laws of Power #26

I don’t particularly like this law of power. It seems like an easy way to get ahead, but will hurt you in the long run. Keeping a clean appearance is important, but I believe there are better ways to do it. More after the jump.

October 27, 2006 | Filed Under LOP | Leave a Comment 

RubyConf.new(2006)

I attended the annual Ruby Conference this year in Denver, CO courtesy of ThoughtWorks. Lots of fun was had by all. I met up with a few people from caboose that I hadn’t seen since last year and had some friends like Evan Phoenix do some talks.

The conference was a good chance to meet up with some other ThoughtWorkers and have fun in a city I haven’t been to before.

I also snuck out at night to go to SkyVenture and do a little indoor night-skydiving. That was definitely an experience I’ll have to have again.

Until next year…

October 22, 2006 | Filed Under Ruby | Leave a Comment 

Laws of Power #25

I’ve been watching a few movies lately that have reminded me about this law of power. We’re constantly told what to do in life by many different people. Parents, bosses, friends, governments, you name it. It’s like a quote I remember from Joe Versus the Volcano when one of Meg Ryan’s characters is explaining her father. She says something like, “My dad says that most people in this world are asleep. The few that are awake are the ones who are in control and they are constantly amazed at what they see.” Well, I’m awake now and I’m not going back to sleep. More after the jump.

October 13, 2006 | Filed Under LOP | Leave a Comment 

Laws of Power #24

In consulting, soft skills go a long way to getting what you want. Negotiating, delegating, supporting; all of these skills come in handy the more you have to interact with other people. That’s why I like law 24. More after the jump.

October 13, 2006 | Filed Under LOP | Leave a Comment 

Laws of Power #23

From what I’ve seen in business, it takes all sorts of things to make you successful. You have to have talent, intelligence, experience, humility, be comfortable with change, and even have a little luck. The most important virtues to have though are determination and focus. A sheer will to get things done will get you the furthest in business. More after the jump.

October 4, 2006 | Filed Under LOP | Leave a Comment