View Full Version : How busy are you at work?
I am feeling a little guilty because I am a lot less busy at this job than I was at my old one. Part of it is being new, part of it is the job. I wanted to be less busy at work, but now coping with survivor's guilt or something, especially because my husband is still in the classroom.
I'd say when I was in the classroom, on a scale of 1-10, 1 being bored ALL the time and 10 being busy ALL the time and then some (before and after working hours, leaving things undone, etc.), I was always an 8-10. I feel like about a 3-4 now. Maybe a 5.
How about you?
7-8, with occasional forays into the 9-10 range and less often into the 4-5 range. Being busy is a good thing because I am in consulting and have a billable goal to meet. I only very rarely have to worry about meeting it.
Oh, and I am less busy when I am here. ;)
Kara
I would say I'm generally in the 8-10 range, but I think it suits me. The occasional 7-8 day feels nice, but I get antsy if I have a couple in a row.
Wow! You guys amaze me!! I meant a 10 being like, frantically busy all the time . . . but I didn't really say that . . . or! people just like it that way! :)
I always loved the line from Office Space, "I'd say in a given week I probaly only do about 15 minutes of real, actual work."
I work 20 hours outside the home, and use to be 20-40 hours for our business. But the home business I maybe do 5 hours a week now (sad).
Mighty Frugal
9-7-11, 9:50pm
Well..my industry is dying a slow death. I've been there close to 20 years. The first 16 years it was a solid 9. The past year or so it's been a 3. It gets boring and I hate it. Thankfully I have a great also non-busy co-worker and we manage to spend a great portion of the day talking.
In a perfect work world I'd like a 7.5
I'm usually at a 7-8, last summer I spent at a 10 for weeks. I was running around crazy this morning. One girl has been on vacation for two weeks and comes back tomorrow. We are SO glad. It's bad enough with just our workload, but add in some of someone else's? Puts you over the edge!
I'm in international shipping and everything is very time driven.
Bastelmutti
9-7-11, 11:33pm
I am freelance, so I can go from 0 to 10. Right now I'm between 0 and 3. End of October looks to be a 9-10!
My job is fairly relaxed and ranges from a 3-7. At times I need more going on, so I am taking classes, etc to stay busy. Its a fine line though as sometimes go 10+ with everything I sign myself up for.
Bastelmutti
9-8-11, 1:35pm
I should say that I like to be around 6-7 to leave enough time for other pursuits, but freelancing can be a bit feast or famine.
Gardenarian
9-8-11, 1:44pm
It varies tremendously. This week has mostly been about an 8, but today for some reason is slow - about a 3.
I prefer to be busy - I'm just happier when I'm bustling around.
rodeosweetheart
9-9-11, 11:23am
I am in the 8-10 range now, and could have been lower, but took on more freelance work, so part of me must like being super busy! I really like having work coming in, I will admit!
I was at about a 5 most of the time at my last job. It did not take me long to figure out that this was the nature of the job, except at certain times of year, when it got closer to a 10.
I never knew if my supervisors realized this. I tried to look/stay busy and make projects for myself. But eventually, my job was eliminated and I have a feeling it is because they knew they could get along without me/it. It was composed of duties that other people didn't always have time to do. So it was simple enough for them to put those duties on the backs of the original do-ers, and cut out a salary and benefit package--and me.
When it gets frantic at work, I'm happy because we're needed. I also will keep myself busy with projects ...I'd rather be seen as industrious...
With a discussion like this this, it is pretty difficult to know if you are comparing apples to apples. But I generally leave for work at 7AM and get home at 6PM now, during a quieter period at work. The commute is about an hour on each end, so that makes it a 9 hour day actually spent at the office. I usually eat lunch at my desk while working, and often do work on the train (probably 2 -3 of my commute hours each week are spent on work during a quieter work cycle). This past week has been pretty mellow; I've actually had the luxury of deciding on what I would like to work on next. And I wouldn't mind it if Monday is like that too, but I wouldn't like for all next week to be like that. And I do have enough little "side projects" piled up that I could stay quite busy if you locked me in the department by myself for 24/7 for the next three months! When we are crazy busy, all bets are off, I do work starting at 4AM with my morning coffee at home, work on the train, take work home, work on the weekends, and work in my dreams! And I kinda like it, as long as it isn't like that all the time. ;)
I have two half time jobs; the M-W (first half of W) is incredibly slow & boring. Then I dash home to begin the intense, packed, exciting one. It's a bit hard to manage...
I'm usually busy, but rarely so much so that I need to put in more than an extra 20-30 minutes per day beyond my 8 hour day. I'd give my employer that much extra anyway just because I don't want to be viewed as a clock-watcher, but most days it's actually working most of the time. Our department in our region is busy certain times of the year, less busy other times. Right now we're in the slower season. I've been using my time to finish up my files from the busy season, so I'm still working busily every day. In the past this was fine since we had paper files. Now that we have an electronic fililng system they've started issuing "best practices" guidelines for how quickly various documents need to make it into the file. With paper files no one knew when the docs got into the file. As long as they were there by the time of our internal audit it was fine. This may become a problem since I've always used the busy/slow season factor to even out my busy-ness throughout the year by allowing paperwork to build up during the busy times and then get caught up during the slow times. Overall though I'd say I'm at a 6 or 7 generally. A few days push up to 8 or 9, but I rarely drop below a 6. If I have to start being more timely with my files I'll have months of daily 10s and other months of daily 3's.
fidgiegirl
9-10-11, 10:28pm
redfox, can you tell us more about your new job? I know you were quite excited about it . . . if not, ok too.
My job is feast or famine. Not much money around for splurges like massages, so it's kinda slow now. But today I had 4 clients, which was a surprise. It'll pick up around the holidays, though not as much as in years past.
Less work means less money : (
Blackdog Lin
9-11-11, 8:03am
My job consists of 2-3 hours in the morning at an 8-9 rating (sometimes a 10, which is really too stressful for my liking), and 2-3 hours late in the afternoon at a 7-8 rating. Both times of the day I'm on a strict deadline, and I have no choice, the work HAS to be done in the time allotted. Since I'm classified as a part-timer (in spite of working 45-50 hour weeks all summer), my employer just sends you home for the mid-day if there's not enough work to keep you at least at a 7 or so.
But then there are the days when I'm stuck in the office due to someone else being off, and after the initial "9 blast" then most days calm down to a 6 rating before the end of the day busyness comes again (my 45-50 hour weeks lately).
I'm retiring next year, and long for a nice cushy 4-5 rated part-time office job - and then I think I'd probably be bored silly without all the deadline-induced craziness I've endured for the last 32 years.....
Ten. Maybe 11. Yesterday, I got a call from work at 6:00 AM that woke me up from a nightmare about work.
redfox, can you tell us more about your new job? I know you were quite excited about it . . . if not, ok too.
Yup. I'm the new ED of the Cohousing Association of the US. It's mission is to support forming communities & established ones. It's only half time in pay, though I am keeping it to 20-30 hours a week. I am excited to Be bringing my experience with affordable housing development to this fabulous model of community living. LOTS of fundraising to do!
It's a national org, and virtually run, mostly online & on the phone. Run out of my home office. I have a few part time staff, they work from home as well. It's quite exciting, and I love the challenges.
That is so cool, redfox! What a great gig! They are lucky to have you and I hope in time you'll be able to grow the organization to the point where you can quit the other frustrating position...Pretty sure that will happen, actually!
My job is probably mostly in the 6-7 range, though I have definite 10 days/weeks and even a few 12-13 weeks a few times a year when we have seasonal program events that run from early morning to late evening. I also have a few slower periods, but I mostly find things to occupy my time.
lhamo
It was like in the 8 or so range which was perfect, but more and more it's a 10. I am taking classes which means more juggling so many times it's 10+ though I can't say I start actually working at 4am! Definitely hit the ground running pre-7am at times, and sometimes til 6 or later. I hate the super-busyness. If I have a couple of different things to juggle each day that's enough to keep me engaged and focused. When things are just dropping off the to do list because there's no way, it feels overwhelming and disheartening.
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