The District Magazine Vol. 2 Issue 2, Summer 2017 | Page 17

Your immediate response to your new boss is always,
“Yes! Of course!” You produce quality work, and
then you’re given more. As this circle begins, you
become more and more eager to please, and with
that come more assignments. Your sole focus is now
your boss. And eventually, you find yourself working
at night, on weekends, or during holidays to climb
that corporate ladder in record-breaking times.
Because that’s what defines your success, right?
My advice to you is this: Your managers know first-
hand you’re incapable of doing everything, but as
long as you keep giving, then shoot, they’ll keep
taking. So do not be afraid to talk openly with them.
If you want to take a vacation that is perfectly fine,
that’s why companies give vacation days. Casually
chat with your manager about some new spots
you’d love to visit one weekend. Then, recap your
work status and offer up a week in the near-future
that you’d really like to take time off to visit these
spots. The chiller and more matter-of-fact you are in
your approach to this, the easier it will be received.
Dearest workaholic: I’m willing to bet you’re
extremely detail-oriented. Success in your mind
is defined as crossing every T, dotting every I, and
never messing up. This obviously requires you to
work unusually long hours. You hold yourself to
this high expectation and feel that it’s perfectly
reasonable to hold others to the sam e expectation
as well. You haven’t taken a vacation in years. In
fact, your family probably doesn’t even expect much
from you anymore.
your family and friends.
My advice to you is this: Try incorporating your
family into your venture. My dad worked countless
hours building his business. Oddly enough I don’t
really remember him ever being away. Instead, I
remember stuffing marketing envelopes for him and
being part of the excitement. Give this a try with
your family and see how it works. My other tip is
to pencil vacation into your calendar ahead of time.
This way, you know how to prioritize your work. In
the middle of scoring new clients? They’re human
too. Giving them a heads up that you’ll be out of
pocket on a certain block of days will only earn you
respect (and might just seal your deal faster!).
To sum it all up, communication with your manager,
team, and clients is key. Reduce unnecessary work
by talking to them to make sure you’re delivering
what they want, not what you think they want. Plan
your vacations out ahead of time. This gives you
the motivation you need to prioritize your work.
And remember this, the real hero is already on
vacation because he or she figured out a faster
way to get things done.
Like these topics and want to read more? Check
out suitsandsneaks.com for the latest career,
fashion, and lifestyle advice.
My advice to you is this: Stop what you’re doing
for a moment and make a list of everything you’ve
done this week. Literally, everything. For each
item, answer this question with a Yes/No: “Did my
boss directly ask for this?” For those you’re on the
fence about, or answered No to, answer Yes/No to
this question, “Do I think my team needs this even
though they didn’t ask?” Grouping your Yes/Nos
together now allows you to prioritize your work.
Now when you do step away to vacation with your
family, you know precisely who is and who isn’t
missing out on your piles of work.
Dear budding entrepreneur: I am so excited for
you, I really am. You came up with this amazing
idea and are ready to execute your dream. You will
do anything it takes to make it work. I can imagine
your excitement, and I can also imagine a slight
guilt as more and more time pulls you away from
THE DISTRICT - TAMPA’S URBAN DWELLING MAGAZINE
17