Being Jim When You Feel like Creed
By: Cam Cheline
Tags: Work, Tech, Startup, Austin, Personal

My Stages of Work Life

I know that I will not always be operating at my highest level and I won’t always feel like burying my head in a design mind-fuck. But that’s ok. Recognizing what stage I’m at and how to make it work for me instead of against me, is critical to my happiness in what I do. When I’m operating at a high level, how can I take advantage of that energy to propel myself and my work forward? When I’m operating at a low level, how can I find ways to accomplish things and get out of the rut when all I can think about is the weekend? Here’s what I do in the five stages of work productivity I’ve found myself in.

When Work is a Beatdown

Sunday night used to have Game of Thrones to be excited about. It’s been a couple years of Sunday night dread. Oh shit. Back to work. It’s hard to enjoy Sundays when you know your time is short. There are times where work is just work. You don’t want to see your co-workers. You don’t want to open that laptop. You just want to lay in bed. You feel beat down. The first obvious choice is a vacation. But I think a lot of people delay them for the because the added stress of cost, which is kinda what you’re trying to get away from. One of the things I’ve found super helpful is to either have a staycation (I hate that word) and just get some rest. Watch some Netflix. Chill. But also just do extended weekends. Do a quick cheap trip. Tickets from Austin are super cheap to places like New York, Vegas, Tahoe and Colorado. So I find myself planning quick trips all the time. It’s a quick boost and getting to see different views is what re-energizes me. It’s important to know what refuels you. I try and extend any work trips with the weekend before or after so I can play in the city a bit and take advantage of my time there. Earlier this month I had a weekend to explore San Fransisco. Even though I’ve been there enough to be tired of it, I’ve lived in Austin 30 years. So there’s a lot more new things to do there than the city I see every day. The next week I was in Seattle in the middle of the week, so it didn’t work out. But in a few weeks I’ll be back for a company Christmas party on a boat and am front-loading it with some Seattle exploring for a weekend. So accepting suggestions!

When Work is a Fog

There are those times that I just am out of it. I’m tired. Stressed. Anxious. I can’t think straight and I’ve lost all clarity of thought. That’s when I get into mindless mode. I find those things that I can do in my sleep. The monotonous shit that is boring as hell. But needs to be done. For me as a designer, it’s organizing style guides, picking off old Jira’s I’ve been avoiding and cleaning up my files. The great thing about being here is that I can get into a trance where this shit is happening while my mind takes a backseat, but it also spurs my brain to want to step up. I find that in these moments, creativity bursts through. I think there’s a part of my that’s like, let’s get the fuck out of this phase as quickly as we can. The ideas start to flow again and clarity of thought comes with new ways of thinking of things. This isn’t always the case. Sometimes it takes a little time in the fog before it clears. But it’s a win/win.

When Work is a Race

There are those times that I can barely keep up. My head’s barely above water. I have about 15 devs working quickly behind me, so I often feel like there’s a fire beneath me to keep me going. Though those times aren’t always fun, they go quick. I just have to get clarity on my priorities with my team and make sure I manage my time accordingly. I love prioritizing my tasks. I’ve often implemented common practices like having that one big task, one medium task and one small task that if done would make for a successful day. That formula could change a little (one big, three medium, three small) and looks different for different people. But having those bite size goals that give you quick wins on your path to getting to the finish line is a big deal for me when I’ve got that fire trailing behind me.

When Work has Momentum

There are those times where everything is clicking. The team is all on the same page. Everyone has a clear idea of where they are going and they are working in perfect unison. My only objective in those times is not to be a blocker. I need to keep the flow going and make sure I’m not the one to stop any momentum. When the team lands on a big idea, it’s a time to really go for it and start iterating. Turnaround time is much easier these days than in my early career. I just work faster. My hands just go and I’m putting less thought into it. But quick feedback is super important. So I’ll crank some shit out, get feedback in a couple days, the next day, or even an hour later. If I have an idea of where I want something to go, but it’s months away, as often design implantation is, I just go for it. I’ve redesigned a lot of products in a day or less knowing that it might not see the light of day. Of course just the idea is the start of a big iteration process where you tear it apart. But that idea is explored. It’s like a writer getting an idea as they lay down to sleep and they just got to jot it down before it’s done. That flow doesn’t always happen, but this is the sweet spot.

When Work is an Addiction

I used to feel guilty if I didn’t enjoy work. Then I went to the other end where I felt guilty for enjoying it too much. I learn to embrace these times and go with the momentum, but not at the expense of taking care of myself and the kid. If I’m not getting proper sleep, if I’m taking time away from Cai, if I’m not eating right or I’m inviting stress, I take a step back. But if I’m on a roll, I’ll utilize my 5:30–7:15 time in the morning to do cool shit. That’s my time. Sure, I’ve got to get ready and make sure Cai is getting ready for the day. But really, that’s about 30 minutes of that time. So I’ve got prime time to play. Or when Cai goes down at 9, if I’m running with something, I’ve got some time before calling it to pull out that MacBook and get after it. Or during lunch I can pull out that chicken and broccoli lunch and keep going. That hour break in the middle of the day is great, but if I’d rather be exploring some idea, then why not?