Stress

I try to hide my stress as much as possible, but sometimes there is so much going on, that I can't quite keep my head above water.

This last week, and the following couple of weeks, I'll be sputtering water, sucking air, and basically just trying to survive.

What does this mean? Short quick blog posts, if any at all.

This last week, I traveled to Sacramento for the Professional Business Women of California's Annual Conference. Great speakers, good presentations (which I hope to tell you about later when I can), but boy was I distracted. Just 5 minutes before hopping in the car to take off for 2 days, my boss asks, pleads and begs me to create a project plan for a multi-million dollar deal we are trying to win.

Sure, I can work on that for you. I'll be gone the next couple of days, but I can start meeting with team members when I get back into the office on Friday and we can start hashing out the plan over the next couple of weeks. When do you need it by?

Tuesday morning. NEXT Tuesday morning.

And oh by the way, can you attend and present, since the client will be visiting onsite that day and will want to meet you? (why? because apparently in our proposal I've been named as the potential PM, on an engagement I know nothing about)

WTF.

I mean, WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Putting together a "quick" project plan for a huge deal is time consuming when that is ALL you have to do.

But when you are gone for two days at a business conference, and then working your tail off to smooth over last minute fires for a (different) client launch scheduled next Wednesday morning (that is also a multi-million dollar deal and has ALL executive management watching my every move), then creating a project plan out of thin air, on an engagement you really know nothing about, because remember you just heard about this opportunity 5 minutes before hopping in the car Wednesday night, is pretty much damn near impossible.

And, as much as I have become pretty skilled at masking my stress levels, my heart definitely has been beating faster all weekend long as I work against the clock. My mind has been racing 100 miles faster than it usually does. Visualizing all I need to get done, while I rock my baby to sleep, praying this night he will actually sleep through the night and give us some peace and quiet.

Peace and quiet I need so I can clear my head and get some work done.

My PT shakes her finger at me any time she hears about my work life intruding into my home life. Any time she sees the stress levels rising higher than they normally do for a Silicon Valley go-getter. I wonder what she will say tomorrow after I tell her this recent development of events? I know my back has been hurting more because of it, that's for sure. I feel like I already need another vacation! ;-)

Speaking of, Jon and Logan leave on Thursday for our Thanksgiving travels, and I leave Friday afternoon to catch up with them. We'll be visiting Jon's parents in Texas and Washington over the holidays - and the break couldn't come at a better time.

Let's just hope I can keep it together until then.