By Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC, home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com

 
There are not many things in life that are guaranteed, but I can guarantee that most of you are working 45-50 hours per week, easily. If you have taken a look at all of the job postings on our website you will understand why it does not take Sherlock Holmes to make that deduction. Even though we are in an economic slow down, with the exception of land development, our customers have so many open positions available that you, our readership,  are likely playing the role of chief cook and bottle washer with your employer.  You are either putting together construction plans and proposals or recruiting for your multiple client needs.  This is all good, it’s just the way things are, but don’t lose sight of life! It is easy to worry about taking care of your clients, your peers, your boss and your employees, but you cannot be effective unless you TAKE TIME OUT and take care of yourself every once in a while.

Now, I am no expert on this topic, at least not yet, as I work 50-60 hours a week myself. I have though begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel. About a year ago I became the first time owner of a Jeep Sahara 4 x 4 (thanks to the influence of my neighbor, who has owned a Jeep for just about his entire adult life). As a result of this, a couple friends of mine take an occasional day off from work and travel to Rausch Creek Off Road Park for a little Jeep expedition. Initially I felt guilty as I was taking a day off from work. I knew the phone lines would be burning and the inbox would be overflowing, but once we got up into the hills and hit the trails, those thoughts of guilt and anxiety about missing work completely disappeared (Now I don’t even check my phone for any missed calls or emails, not even once!). For four-and-a-half hours we tool around on dirt trails, crawl up some steep and rocky hills in 4-Wheel Drive Low, smash around through mud pits and put our Jeeps in some pretty frightening and precarious positions. IT IS AWESOME.  Back to work the next day, but refreshed and ready to rock after taking one day for ME. So take a day off, and whether it’s fishing or boating out on the big lake, treating yourself to a ball game during the day, grabbing a couple girlfriends and having a “spa day,” or heading up to the mountains and tooling around in your 4 x 4, TAKE TIME OUT for you-YOU DESERVE IT!