But, more importantly, I've had some time to catch up, stop swimming against the current, and actually throw in a few leisurely backstrokes. Well, I'm not sure if I HAD time or MADE time, but you get my drift. There was a big corporate meeting today that I skipped and I knocked through a one-page to-do list before 3pm. Priorities!
I've forced myself to make some changes in my life. Historically, Jack and I always do this "nose to the grindstone" thing from January-May, where we don't go out much, we save money, we work hard on school and work, and emerge in mid-May hungry for a beach vacation and Jimmy Buffet.
[Vacation's in June this year. We decided to rent a beach house on Lake Michigan and, believe me, I'm counting the milliseconds.]
I'm tired of my wellbeing suffering because of work. Even Elvis pulled me aside and said he was worried about me. I will do anything to make the care better for our patients, but I've been increasingly stepping out of political turfwars or battles of the will that just complicate everything and make everyone tired.
Plus, I piloted the "Ra Project."
Remember my pal from my Franciscan Leadership program, Ra? She works a zillion hours and after a week in the Cayman Islands, decided to turn off her laptop, pager, and blackberry at 6pm every night. She reported better focus, better sleep, and (gasp) time with her boyfriend. It's so counter-cultural for anyone in administration.
Amazed, I tried the same thing. I shut everything off by 7pm and (bigger gasp) actually relax most evenings now. Believe it or not, the work is still there in the morning and I have 100% more gusto to hit it all first thing.
[Don't act so surprised, this is truly new to me!]
I've only been able to institute the "Ra Project" this week because my massive department closure, construction, move, and re-opening occurred last Friday. The biggest project so far in my career is complete and it was an amazing success. It wasn't me- the whole team stepped up and acted as one unit for the entire transition. The whole way home Friday night, I beamed ear-to-ear, happy to relish this one success.
Hey, if we don't celebrate our successes, who will?
But on Monday morning, we finished planning and crews started demo on the other two projects. I became primary oversite on a $2M renovation. Another department cropped up needing reorganization and interim management. I was contacted by our affiliated physician group asking if I would please, oh please, accommodate the optometry practice in an already-tight clinic space. We had a CSI moment in the morgue that required hazmat intervention (will spare you the details on that one!) and a patient stumble into Occupational Medicine with his ear hanging off his head.
And so on goes the hospital gravy train. But y'know what? It'll all still be there when I'm rested and refreshed tomorrow morning.
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