Learning to Work More Intentionally

Moving from a structured classroom job as an English teacher to a more ambiguous and unstructured position in the corporate world, I had a sharp learning curve. The style of work and what was expected of me were different. The process was full of false starts and wasted time trying to strike the right balance of utilizing my skills and adapting. The most important thing I learned was to be more intentional with my time.

In a school/education environment, everything can feel urgent. If you don't finish something, the children will suffer. Your classroom will be chaotic if you don't work after contract hours. It can feel like there is no option to slow down or relax because everything must be finished by its deadline. 

While that's just a toxic mentality drilled into teachers, it's definitely not the case in the corporate world. Suppose you overwork yourself to the brink of exhaustion. No child or community benefits. Only a corporation that won't even notice your burnout. After realizing this, I found the transition out of education a freeing experience that allowed me to slow down and put my mental well-being before my workload. 

When I first made the transition, I was struggling. New freedom was refreshing, and I had dozens of new ideas and projects. My boss was very supportive of my creative visions, so I felt pressured by myself to see each and every project to the end.

I tried to do absolutely everything. I had to do every idea, every continued education course, every project, and every event. I felt I was failing if I wasn't working at 100%.

Trying to balance dozens of projects and my normal workload was unsustainable even without the brand new infant I had just given birth to while working from home. 

I struggled to get enough sleep, care for myself, or carve out time to meet my basic needs. That's not even getting into the chaos that was my work projects. Everything was either unfinished, half-hearted, or lost in the constant busyness. I realized that this pace was unsustainable and unproductive. I began to look at myself and think about my son. He deserved a mom who was calm and happy. My work was suffering too. 

My company wasn't paying me for half-finished proposals with no legs. They needed results and could do more with fewer quality projects and actionable plans. A list of scattered ideas and unrelated outlines wasn't helpful to anyone. 

I was doing so much, but what was I accomplishing? Now, I make a point to start what I finish before I begin something else. If I need a break from my current task, I take a break but don't allow myself to be distracted by something else. I talked to my manager, who was supportive, and we set a limited and reasonable monthly plan together.

I learned the power of decluttering my mind through brainstorming. Every idea isn't perfect, and every good idea doesn't need to be seen to the end. I write down every concept and keep a master list in case I find time later or an evolution of the idea that I can recycle later. 

Committing to one thing and learning to be more intentional with my time has improved my quality of work and increased how much I complete.

Of course, the trap of overworking is still a prominent problem in business, and many managers push people into sacrificing their well-being for the company's money. However, the stakes are lower, and the reality is that there is no reason for your company to push you into overtime hours with which you are not comfortable. 

There is no work that's more important than your life. Don't fall into the trap of believing that being more productive means being a better human. At the end of their lives, nobody ever wished they worked more.